


Harry Potter and the Boy-Who-Broke

by Lexarius



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Neon Genesis Evangelion
Genre: APBWB Bashing, F/M, Forewarned!Harry, Harmonious Angel, Lunar Hedgehog, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:48:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 82,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27554128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexarius/pseuds/Lexarius
Summary: After dying, Harry Potter finds himself at a ghostly version of King's Cross Station, and meets a teen from another reality.  Giving both the chance for victory, redemption, and family.Forewarned!Harry, APBWD bashing, Eventual Harmonious Angel [Harry/Hermione/Rei]; Lunar Hedgehog [Shinji/Luna].(Crossover with Vertigo in some chapters)
Relationships: Harry Potter/Hermione Granger/Rei Ayanami, Shinji Ikari/Luna Lovegood
Comments: 23
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

_**Meeting at King's Cross** _

* * *

Harry found himself in a deserted King's Cross Station. He sat on a bench. He felt very tired, physically and emotionally. Everything came back to him in a rush. Voldemort. Dumbledore. Hermione. Ron. The Weasleys. Malfoy. The Dursleys. Hogwarts. The moment of his death. All the pain he had endured. Distractedly, he rubbed the scar on his forehead. He sighed. "Well... that could have gone better, I guess."

"Yeah, it could have..." Harry looked around, looking for the source of that voice. It was definitively the voice of a young male, with a curious accent. Next to him, a teen sat heavily, with the same tiredness he felt. His head hung limply between his shoulders, his forearms rested on his thighs and his hands simply hung down.

The young man was dressed in what seemed to be a muggle school uniform. White shirt, black undershirt, black trousers held in place by a too long black belt, black running shoes with white soles. He was taller than Harry, but he was also skinny, Harry thought they looked similar, but while he himself was simply underfed, the teen was simply wiry by nature.

The teen kept silent for a few minutes, Harry waited, respecting his silence. To be truthful, he himself wasn't really in the mood for idle talk; and anyway, he had never been good at chitchatting with strangers.

"You know?" the unknown teen finally said, "I like it here."

"Why? There's no one here? Just you and me, and I think I'm dead."

The teen shrugged slowly, "Yes. You are dead. So am I. It doesn't matter much. All I wanted was to be left alone."

Harry sat straight, looking at the boarding signs. "Why? Don't you have any family? Friends?"

"I don't deserve to have friends." There was such a finality in his soft voice. "I'm a fraud. A coward. A pervert, even... I was supposed to be this hero. To save the world. In the end, I failed. Everybody is dead and I'm too scared to take that last step," he waved a hand towards the boarding signs, "to find my final punishment."

"A-and your family?" Harry gulped, fearing the answer.

"My mother died when I was little, and my father dropped me with my uncle and aunt." He shuddered. "They always said I was a waste of space and I should be grateful they didn't sent me to the streets."

Harry recognized himself in that. "And you had to do all the chores, you learned to cook for them."

"Yeah. How did you know that?" A small amount of vitality showed in his voice, he even raised his head a little.

"Had to do it myself. Cleaning, laundry, cooking, gardening, you name it. I had to do it or starve."

"You too, uh? Well... I got spared of yard work after I overwatered the flowers." A sad smile crossed his face for a moment.

"Well... I guess we are kinda like mates. I'm Harry, Harry Potter. Nice to meet you." Harry extended his hand.

"What? Really? No, It can't be!" The teen stood up suddenly, now Harry could see his face for the first time. He had dark brown hair, framing an almond shaped face, his eyes were dark blue, with a fold at the edge of the eyelid. "You aren't real! Just a character in children's books!" A hand parted Harry's hair, uncovering the infamous zigzag of his scar. The teen stood silently before Harry, seemingly paralyzed.

Harry slapped the hand away. "Those are just stupid faerie tales somebody wrote about me! I never fought a harpy, o-or a kraken!"

The teen sat down on the floor, his eyes wide in shock. "I k-know... they never asked about you, the real you, not the Boy-Who-Lived. Those are just stories made about a perfectly brave hero. A hero who is not you. Kami... I... You... you... you fought Voldemort in your first year at Hogwarts... after going through several traps... With the Philosopher's Stone at stake... You-you just touched Quirrel and he burned up from the inside."

"How can you know that? Dumbledore hushed everything up. I think not even the Aurors know that."

The teen began to shake. It took a few moments until Harry realized he was shaking with laughter.

He laughed for close to five minutes, to Harry's best estimation. Finally, his hysterical laughter abated. "Oh, sorry." He wiped a tear from his left eye and smiled. It was a small smile, but it was a smile, after all. "Oh, gods, that felt good. I thought I would never laugh again..." he hiccuped twice.

"That bad?"

"That bad, and worse." He nodded and shrugged. "Oh, my apologies," he stood up, and bowed deeply to Harry. "Ikari Shinji, at your service. Sorry, I am so sorry; where are my manners? You're British. Given name goes first, shake hands. Shinji Ikari. Please, call me Shinji." He extended his right hand, and Harry felt compelled to answer in kind.

Shinji smiled like a broken doll. Like a man without hope who suddenly finds a tiny sliver of actual, honest to god, hope. "Would you terribly mind some spoilers?"

* * *

For a long time, Shinji told Harry things the young wizard had never suspected could be true about him and his life. Harry couldn't even begin to say that anything Shinji was telling could be a lie or a mistake.

Everything fit. Neatly and horribly, it fit with the facts.

Somehow, his whole life so far was known to this strange teen; he knew what could be his future; and, to top everything off, he was just a character in a series of books!

One revelation after another. And the picture Shinji painted wasn't pretty. He was being prepared for the slaughter! And Harry wasn't really inclined to go willingly to his death.

Harry leaned back against the wall, trying to order his thoughts. It was useless, the talk had been a rollercoaster of emotions, good and bad, heartwarming and nightmare inducing.

"I feel sick." Harry mumbled through clenched teeth.

Harry heard Shinji gasp, his eyes unfocused, lost in a distant place only he could see. Slowly, the teen curled up in foetal position, hugging his calves desperately. A second later, he began to rock like a small child, his eyes screwed shut. Twin streams of tears flowed freely down his face. He was mumbling something.

Not knowing what else to do, Harry just stared at him for a long moment. Finally, he took a decision, remembering just how badly he had needed a hug back in Privet Drive and how much good Hermione's hugs had done to heal some of his own emotional wounds, he did the only thing he could think of. Slowly and carefully, he hugged Shinji, rocking with him, and whispering in his ear, "Shh... shhh... everything will be allright, Shinji. I'm here. Shhh..."

Finally, Harry understood Shinji's mumbling. "I'm sorry." He said, again and again, like a broken record. Harry didn't know what had happened, but he kept hugging Shinji for a long time.

Eventually, Shinji hugged him back, like a drowning man would grab a floating board. "It's okay, Shinji." Harry said, "I forgive you." Hearing these words, Shinji sobbed and hugged him even harder. Harry didn't mind, Hermione hugged him with even more strength.

Long minutes, or maybe hours later, Harry didn't had any sense of time in this ghostly place, Shinji finally pushed Harry back, softly, tentatively; as if he was afraid of something, deathly afraid. Finally, he sighed and wiped his face with the back of his hand.

"I... I am sorry, Harry. Thank you."

Harry smiled sadly at him. "No need to apologize, Shinji." He wanted to ask what had happened to precipitate his breakdown, but didn't want to risk causing another. "You needed some help. I know it wasn't much, but..."

"No. It was exactly what I needed." He wiped his face with a handkerchief, swallowed the lump in his throat, and settled down in a much calmer stance. "Thank you." Both felt like closing this particular subject, a silent agreement passed between them. "Now," Shinji said. "What will you do?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Well, I don't really know. It is a lot to take in so suddenly. But I guess I have to prepare some things. First, I need to make sure Sirius won't die. I need him back on his feet. He is my family. My true family. Privet Drive is not..."

With the speed of thought, Shinji covered Harry's mouth with his hand. "Don't you say that. If you do, you'll break the blood wards."

Harry pushed Shinji's hand away. "But it's true! You better than anybody know that!"

"I know. But if you break the wards, Dumbledore will step in. Who knows what will he do if he can't keep you there."

"So... we keep things like that? That's it?" Harry felt angry at the thought of going back to the Dursleys.

"No. Things have to change. But Dumbledore doesn't have to know. He has been playing things like a gott..." Shinji shook his head, for a moment, it seemed he was about to suffer a second breakdown, but he managed to stave it off. He continued, his voice becoming more animated with each word, "like a god-damned chessmaster. For decades! Keeping the Wizarding world trapped in what he thinks is ideal. It's just stagnation. His idea of redemption leads to the guilty walking free while it's the innocents who suffer and die. He is very good at manipulation, you know? But he cannot manipulate things unless he knows what's actually going on. Just keep up appearances. For as long as you can. I'm sure you can get an arrangement with the Dursley's if you maneauver them into wanting the things you want."

Harry's eyebrows knotted in deep thought. "Like... not being a freak?"

"Not exactly. They want to be normal. They really believe that, but they can't be normal. At this point, they want exactly the same thing you do. To be rid of each other. But if you simply leave, Dumbledore will force you to come back. The Dursley's will resent your return, you will resent being back, and things will simmer until something sets off an explosion."

Harry nodded. "Then, what do I do?"

"Well, don't have anything to do with magic where they can see it. That sets them off. Be as muggle as you can, not because they have beaten you, but as a concession. Talk to Vernon, convince him that a cease fire will work in his favor. Getting rid of you sooner than your coming of age would be a great incentive. Dudley might be a bigger problem, you'll have to keep your distance. Petunia might be easier to manage."

"Lord Black can help you with the magical side of things. He knows many things you'll find very useful. Not only magic, but also how to act, what to do, dirt on many important people. He hates what his family tried to make him into, but he did get a lot of... what's the word... means? Okay, let's got with that. He has the means to make his will in the Wizarding world. Prestige, political power, economic power, even blackmail material, the Black family has a lot of push, and he is now the only living heir for all that power. Even on the run, once he escapes Azkaban, he can get a lot of things done as Lord Black. Just make sure he accepts that. And that he would be pranking his whole family by using his power as Lord Black the way he sees fit."

Harry nodded. "So. I have to trust him."

"And prank him. That would help you both. He needs the Marauders, or at least, people who won't take things so siriously; by the way, he just loves to do puns with his given name."

"Also, Dobby. The little guy practically worships you. You cannot ask for a more faithful friend. He can do a lot of things for you both, not only chores. And he needs to be bonded. His magic literally feeds from the family magic. Release him from the Malfoys and accept him as the Potter family elf. He could take care of Sirius while he recovers from his stay at Azkaban."

"I will, he risked everything to help me. Even if he did some things that caused some trouble." Harry rubbed his arm, where the bludger had broken it, in a misguided attempt from Dobby to keep him away from Hogwarts.

Shinji leaned back on the bench. "You'll need to check several things with Gringotts. Ask your account manager if you have any houses or places under the Fidelius. If you do, getting Dobby to take Sirius there should be no problem, house elves have an instinctive knowledge of their families' houses and properties. If you don't have any, ask the goblins if they can buy the basilisk in secret. That thing is worth a fortune once it has been rendered. One you won't have to share with anybody unless you want to. More than enough to pay for a decent place and a Fidelius."

"I think everybody who was petrified should get a share. Even Filch. On behalf of Mrs. Norris."

Shinji nodded his approval, "Maybe the guy could work for you, I don't know the story of his life, but being a squib at a magic school can't be good for him. He could be the caretaker for one of your places."

"I tought you knew everything." Harry smiled at his friend.

Shinji scoffed, "No, I only know what the books say. And it's been a while since I read them. There's a lot of stuff I don't know for sure, but I can make some educated guesses. There are many things the author didn't go into detail. That means you have to research things."

"An easy one: don't trust Fudge, the guy is completely bought by Lucius Malfoy, the only thing he cares for is to keep his power and prestige. That's why he sent Hagrid to Azkaban on the flimsiest evidence."

Harry closed his fists, "Yeah, he had to be seen doing something. It didn't matter to him that there was nothing to hint Hagrid had done anything wrong."

"His Undersecretary is even worse. Fudge is just a greedy and corrupt idiot with power, she is truly cruel and malicious. If she ever gets the chance, she will drag your name through the mud and worse. Delores Umbridge, remember the name. She must be removed from the Ministry, along with the Death Eaters who only work there to prepare it for Voldemort's return."

"Is there anybody I can trust?" Harry slumped.

"Yes. Amelia Bones, the boss of the DMLE, she's actually honest and competent. She has been sabotaged for years, her budgets slashed, few Auror candidates, spying. But if you manage to help her put the DMLE into shape, she will be one of your staunchest allies. Out of the Ministry? Sirius. Dobby. Hermione. Neville. Hey, even Luna Lovegood. She is quirky, but very perceptive. And not everybody in other houses is against you, despite all the trouble with your parseltongue ability."

Shinji hesitated. "This might be somewhat hypocritical coming from me, but you should reach out to other students, not only in Gryffindor. And not all Slytherins are Death Eaters in training. Some are actually terrified of Voldemort and his band of thugs, so they have to pretend to be on his side, to protect themselves and their families. Obviously, you need to be cautious, but having more support will only help you."

"What about Ron?"

Shinji sighed. "Look... I know he was your first friend, but..." he looked away. "Just... think about how he behaves and reacts, okay? He might grow up or he might drag you down. Hum... try to not judge everybody..." he swallowed and looked away, "my own best friend and I didn't meet in the best of circumstances." He shook his head.

They kept talking for a while longer, making plans. Suddenly, a musical chirping echoed through the empty train station. Shinji stood up. "I guess that's Fawkes, crying over your wound. Time for you to go back and deal with life again."

Impulsively, Harry hugged Shinji. "Thank you, for everything."

Shinji returned the hug. "Thank you, Harry. Have a great life." Harry's body began to dissolve into mist and little sparks of light. "Remember what we talked about."

"I-I will. I'll remember everything."

"Goodbye." Shinji waved at him, standing alone on the deserted platform.

Harry felt himself disappear. A tear fell on the floor. "Goodbye."

Harry allowed himself to be pulled back into his body, lying down in the Chamber of Secrets. His whole body hurt, especially his arm. He raised his head, and fumbled for his eyeglasses. Over him, Dumbledore's Phoenix blinked, a last tear fell on Harry's forearm, closing the wound and neutralizing the basilisk's poison.

Harry pressed his lips together, remembering the haunted looking teen. "Thank you, my friend."

Fawkes chirped a happy trill, and looked at Harry with his right eye, then the left.

"There's a lot to do, right? Let's get out of here. Can we get Ginny and Ron too?"

Fawkes nodded.

* * *

**_Author Notes:_ **

This is one of my favorite stories to write. The original is at FFN, under the title “The Boy-Who-Lived and the Boy-Who-Broke.” It was born from a discussion I had with a friend, about the similarities and differences between Harry Potter and Shinji Ikari. 

I will be crossposting the story from FFN, but rearranging the order of a few chapters. Or even joining two or more of the original chapters into a longer one. 

The events in the first two Harry Potter books are canon for this story, up to the divergence point at the end of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. 

I'm taking elements from the three canon versions of Evangelion. The main canon for this story is the TV series, along with End of Evangelion; but if a narrative element from the Manga or the Rebuild movies makes more sense to me, I will use them. IIRC, the manga version of Shinji was dumped with his uncle and aunt.


	2. Chapter 2

**_A Plan, a Bank, and a Prank/The Last Train Ride_**

* * *

Shinji's words had been true. Freeing Dobby had only required some quick thinking and a simple sock. To say Dobby had been ecstatic would have been to terribly underscore his emotions, and it would have fallen very short of how the former Malfoy's elf felt when Harry asked if he would like to be his personal elf.

If Harry had still harbored any doubts about what Shinji knew, they would have been completely dispelled during the summer break. As soon as he returned to his prison in Privet Drive, Harry noticed a skinny black dog following him at a distance.

It was easy to get the dog to follow him into a secluded place, by simply going into an abandoned building and screaming as if he had fallen. The dog ran into the place, looking for Harry.

The boy was calmly sitting on a wooden box. "Hello. My name is Harry, I think I'll call you... Snuffles!"

The dog seemed surprised, especially when Harry brought out a couple of brown paper bags from his backpack.

"So, Snuffles, you look hungry. I have some chicken and a sandwich. Choose wisely."

The newly christened Snuffles raised a paw. "The chicken it is. Enjoy!"

While the dog ate greedily, Harry patted its side. "Well... I think you need to eat some more. Here, Snuffles." And he feed it the sandwich. "You are really big, but need more strength. I mean," Harry sat next to the dog, "there are some rumors about a big bad killer who escaped justice. Will you protect me from that bloody traitor, Snuffles?"

The dog barked twice.

"Yeah, they say Sirius Black escaped Azkaban, looking for vengeance." The dog whimpered. "But I know I have nothing to fear while you are around, right, Snuffles?"

The dog barked again.

"The damned traitor must pay for his crimes. Betraying my parents, leading Voldemort to our home. Right, Snuffles?

Snuffles growled from the very bottom of his throat. A sound that promised a painful and violent demise to anybody threatening Harry.

"And then, blowing up a street, killing twelve people. And sending a real hero to Hell. That trice-damned traitor deserves the worst punishment, don't you think, Padfoot?"

The next growl of the dog died in his throat, he looked at Harry with such a comical expresión of surprise, Harry burst in laughter.

"I know it's you, Sirius. I know what really happened that night. We are safe here, you can change. There's a lot I have to tell you, and I'd like your help."

The animagus changed back into human, falling back on his posterior. "B-but... how..? Can you remember that far back?"

Harry knelt down and hugged the man. "Not as much as I'd like, Padfoot, just a few vague impressions. But I have friends in weird places, Sirius. You wouldn't believe how weird. They told me about you,what's going on, and I think I can manage to right many things, starting with you being condemned to Azkaban without a trial. Now, let's get you somewhere safe. Away from prying eyes. Dobby!"

"Master Harry Potter has called for Dobby!" A house elf appeared next to them, evidently happy to be of service. "What can Dobby do for best master ever?" He was dressed in a curious black suit, Sirius thought it looked like a muggle chauffeur uniform, but without the hat.

"Dobby, this is Sirius Black, relax. He means no harm. He is my godfather and was unjustly sent to Azkaban."

"Serious Black being Master Harry's friend?" Dobby seemed to be ready to punch Sirius heart out. "Bad master saying Black is being a deluded fool."

Wisely, Sirius held his hands up. "I come in peace, I just want to help Harry."

Dobby nodded, "Then dogfather can stay." The elf turned to Harry. "Master?"

Harry nodded. "Dobby, although your uniform really suits you, this mission requires a disguise. I need you to dress yourself like any other house elf, your choice of what to wear, as long as the Dursleys don't notice it missing. Then, I need you to get my money pouch to Gringotts; ask for Griphook, and tell him it is a matter best managed discreetly. Give him this note." Harry put a piece of paper in Dobby's hands. "He will take you to my account manager."

Dobby nodded with such frenzy his ears flapped like wings. Harry continued. "Tell my manager I'm asking for an appointment with him, at his earliest convenience, to discuss my portfolio; tell him I'll need a portkey to get there; directly into a private room, if possible. I'm authorizing him to charge the appropriate amount from my trust vault."

Dobby nodded happily, his lips moved, as he recounted Harry's instructions. "Dobby understands! Dobby be goings now!" And he popped softly away.

Sirius just looked at Harry, arching an eyebrow. "Snuffles?"

The boy smiled widely at him. "Hey, I'm son, godson, and almost-nephew of the true Marauders, what did you expect?"

Slowly, Sirius face relaxed in realization, "You pranked me!" He exclaimed, "You, Harry Potter, pranked me, Sirius Black!" The ex-prisoner of Azkaban laughed his heart out, "Marvelous! I feared those Dursley's would have killed your sense of humour, but what can they do against the mighty son of James Potter?"

"We have better fishes to fry than the Dursleys, Sirius. I am preparing the best, biggest and most wonderful prank of all times. Are you in?"

"I'm in." A maniacal gleam sparkled in Sirius' eyes. "What are you planning?"

"Not much. Just a few little, silly, barely consequential things." Harry polished his fingernails against his jacket and looked at Sirius with all the air of the cat who bought the canary factory. "I'm planning on making the Death Eaters eat a big serving of humble pie, to kill Voldemort in easy installments; remake the Ministry to my image, make a daily profit out of the Daily Prophet, metaphorically squashing a very annoying bug, get a real family for myself, get rid of the Dursleys, and all that right under Dumbledore's crooked nose and twinkly eyes, before putting him out to pasture. All for the Greater Good. Not necessarily in that order. And, in the process, you'll get the chance to prank the dead."

"My word! You are not playing in the kiddie Quiditch League!" Sirius ran a hand over his long and dirty hair. "What do you need to start?"

"Money, dear boy. Lots of money." Harry slapped Sirius' back. "We are going to empty a lot of vaults." He leaned conspiratorially towards Sirius. "And as it happens, you are the key."

"Who, me?" Was Sirius' eloquent answer.

"No one else. While Dobby returns, let me get you up to date."

* * *

**_Later_ **

"That's it?" Sirius raised an eyebrow. "You're basing everything on hearsay, Harry. Who is this mysterious guy who gave you such information?"

"A friend, and if I told you how I met him, you'd not believe it. But trust me, his information and insights have been very precise. He knows things about me, you, Voldemort, Dumbledore, Wizarding Britain, magic, plots, conspirations, and many other things, that nobody could know. And he wants to help me, us."

"I'd like to meet this guy, check for myself if we can trust him."

"Sirius, please. The circumstances we met, well.. I really doubt I'll meet him again anytime soon."

"Riiight... very convenient. Still, I'd feel better after a nice talk with this... how did you say his name is..?"

Harry shook his head, "Padfoot, I didn't, and I won't, tell you his name, the guy has a lot on his plate."

Sirius rubbed his chin, "Sure, but what he stand to gain? No one does anything _just because_. I want to know his angle, that's all."

Harry sighed. "Look, he... he made some kind of mistake, something that caused his whole world to come crashing around him, all the people he knew... he was the only survivor. The guilt... it's eating him a..." Harry hesitated, "it's eating him inside. I guess he's trying to redeem himself, at least a little."

Sirius shut up after that. He knew very well that need to atone for the mistakes of his past. "Okay, I'll leave things like that, but at the first sign his info is not good, we drop the plans he suggested and bail out, right? There's still a lot of Death Eaters around; and, you implied You-Know-Who found a way to return from death."

"Oh, I know exactly what he did, I know exactly who he is, and I know exactly how to take _everything_ from him. Let me tell you about my first year in Hogwarts while Dobby comes back. It is not a pretty tale, though it has some good parts."

* * *

Dobby waited patiently in the Potter's Account Manager's office. The goblin in question was very busy, writing hurriedly in a series of scrolls and delivering these to several goblin runners, who then left the office as fast as goblinly possible.

Several minutes passed, and Dobby busied himself by looking around discreetly, studying the place, noting the titles of the books, except for the ones in gobbledygook. Master Harry might need to know that, some day.

Finally, the goblin closed the ledger, looked at Dobby, and nodded to himself with satisfied air. "Done."

He took a badge from a drawer, pumped magic into it, and wrote three words on a piece of parchment. "Get these to your Master, elf. The portkey will bring him directly into a private conference room, I will be there waiting for him, my name is Brokentooth. Punctuality is expected. Tomorrow, at 12:03 P.M. All documents requested will be ready for his perusal. Copies can be provided then, for a nominal fee."

Reverently, Dobby took the badge and the parchment. "In the name of Greatest Master Harry Potter, Dobby thanks Gringotts for your service. May your vaults grow larger on the fear of your enemies." He bowed deeply.

The goblin raised an eyebrow, surprised at the ritual wording. Not excellent, but still quite good, for a house elf belonging to a wizard, and answered in kind. "May your Master's gold be everflowing, and his enemies shudder in fear at the mere whispering of his name."

Dobby nodded gravely, and popped away.

* * *

"Hell and damnation, Harry!" said Sirius, "Somebody is going to pay with skin for all you had to go through! But I have to clear my name before doing anything myself."

Harry tapped the side of his nose a couple of times, "I know, next step in my **Evil Plan** is to do exactly that, and for that, I'm gonna prank my best friend." Harry opened a wooden box, and extracted a cage. Immediately, Sirius pushed Harry aside and grabbed a stone from the floor.

Harry stopped Sirius' hand before he could smash the cage. "Padfoot! No! You'll ruin my plan!"

"That damned traitor must die, Harry!"

"That's not the traitorous rat, Sirius! I should have warned you, look closely."

Sirius looked carefully into Harry's eyes, then at the rat. "...But that's... that's..."

The rat squeaked in its cage, while Harry tapped on it a couple of times. "That's just a simple, non-magical rat, which happens to be missing a toe."

Carefully, Harry pried the stone from Sirius's fingers. "You know the rat is at the Weasley's. From the picture at the Prophet that idiotic Fudge left you, because you asked for the crossword, right? Just as my friend said." Sirius nodded, "Well... as it happens, Pettigrew is masquerading as Scabbers, Ron Weasley's hand me down, long-lived pet rat. I know how he framed you, and we will have our revenge. Took a few days, but Dobby found the perfect rat, down to the missing toe. I want to trade the false Scabbers, for another false Scabbers, but one that's actually a real rat."

"Dobby Will help me substitute one for the other later. Right now, let's Pettigrew stew in his own fears for a while. Meanwhile, you get to rest and heal." Harry's smile chilled Sirius' blood, until, almost against his own will, a similar smile crept out over his own mouth.

"Yes. I like that."

"We have to wait until the Weasleys come back from their trip to get the rat. I know where and when." Harry put a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "I need you to stay at Black Island, safe and sound, until it's time to strike. Dobby will take care of you. Don't go near your family house, once we have gotten you vindicated and reinstated, we will deal with that."

"I'll stay here and protect you, Pup."

"No. Two reasons. First, I need you at your best for what we have to do. And for that, I need you to recover as much as possible. I will be safe here for now, and later in Hogwarts."

"Your friend told you that?" Disbelief was clear in his voice.

"Yes. I have to deal with the Dursleys, but thanks to what he told me, I have kept my temper under control. Otherwise, I would have done something really stupid." He shook his head, having Marge Dursley visiting was a real drag. But he had reached a tentative truce with Vernon, and he enjoyed a few hours of freedom every day. Marge's comments would have had him seeing red, had he not known better. Right now, he could see them as pathetic attempts to boost her own meager importance. She was of no consequence anymore.

"Once I have checked things with Gringotts, I'll see if you can do the same. That would change the schedule, but for the better."

Dobby popped back at that moment smiling happily. "Master Harry Potter, Master! Dobby is bringing good news!"

The second reason would have to wait for a little bit.

* * *

 **_Ghostly King’s Cross Station  
(Afterlife)_ ** ****

"Have a great life, Harry." Shinji Ikari whispered again, saying goodbye at the vanishing floating lights that marked the departure of a young wizard. Not even a teen yet.

Shinji sat again on the bench.

"Now it makes some sort of sense," he said. "Funny how I end up in deserted trains all the time. And now, in a desert train station..."

He stood up, and looked around. "Is this place even real? Why would the dead have to come to an empty train station?"

Shinji walked around King's Cross Station, finally allowing himself to look at the place.

To really look at the place.

"Especially one that I've never been to."

He walked to the boarding platform, and read the signs. Only one train had its doors open. It was a sleek, smooth machine, the same kind of train he was used to back in Japan, so very different from the colorful steam locomotive of the Hogwarts Express.

Next to its doors there was a sign written in Japanese.

"Outbound from Tokyo-3 and Intermediate Points" It read. Shinji checked his shirt pocket. There was a ticket there.

He stood there, looking at the open door for a very long time.

A very long time.

He remembered his life, all the things that happened. And how he would have liked to do things differently.

Standing up to his father.

Reaching out to his classmates.

To Rei.

To Misato.

To Kaji, to Toji, to Kensuke.

To Sakura, to Hikari.

To Maya, to Ritsuko. To Makoto and Shigeru.

...

...To Asuka...

Being a better person.

Not isolating himself in that dark little room, listening to that tape again and again. Just fleeing from the pain. The pain of rejection. Or even the pain of possible rejection.

Having the courage to say to Asuka he fancied her. Instead of...

He shook his head, his eyes burned with tears. _'Hell is not pain_ ,' he thought, " _Hell is regrets_.'

Shinji's hands trembled, his left hand clenched and unclenched rythmically, while the right crushed the train ticket.

Finally, he whispered, to no one in particular, "Grant me some Gryffindor courage." and began to walk, smoothing the ticket as best he could. Somehow, he found the strength to raise his head.

His steps were small, hesitant, but he kept on walking until he boarded the train.

As soon as he occupied a seat, the doors closed softly, and the train began to move.

Shinji looked through the window, at the empty station, and closed his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Meeting at Gringotts/I Saw that in a Movie_ **

* * *

"The House of Potter thanks Gringotts for their exemplary conduct in business, Account Manager Brokentooth. With this," Harry tapped the big pile of documents compiled by Gringotts, "gold shall flow into our vaults and our enemies shall despair in misery and shame."

"I must say I am pleasantly surprised, Mister Potter. If you actually put this information to the use I think you will, gold and despair will flow in rarely seen amounts."

Harry smirked like a predator, keeping his mouth almost closed, he barely allowed a hint of teeth to be shown, taking care not to face directly at Brokentooth. The goblin did the same. For the moment, he was willing to concede the young human could be a worthy partner. Only his future actions would put that to the test, but for the moment, it seemed to be that the young human had at least some idea of what to do.

"I shall discuss our future course of action with my partner, and then we will have to meet again, to decide the best order for the reckoning." Brokentooth shrank the copies into a small bag, and pushed it towards Harry.

"Now, I ask for your wise advice. My partner has been falsely accused of a crime, depriving his godson of a loyal guardian and family."

Brokentooth's face began to turn to an alarming shade of purple. "Who dared to? WHO DARED TO?" The goblins anger at those who meddled with families was well known, especially when it involved the most important clients of Gringotts.

Harry leaned in. "We are taking measures to ensure his name will be cleared of any hint of wrongdoing. One of the guilty parties will be soon at our mercy, and the rest will be bled dry. In the meanwhile, we need your advice, and your personal assurance he can come here and deal directly with his own account manager. For exactly the same I have asked of you. A full audit of his vaults, and the ledger of debts and contracts."

Brokentooth answered with his jaw clenched. "The Goblin Nation is it's own territory, Gringotts is its own sovereign nation, Mister Potter. As long as your partner has committed no crime against the Goblin Nation, and deals honestly with us, he can come and go as he pleases. You have my solemn word he will not be harmed in Gringotts' premises, in any way or form."

"Great news, Account Manager Brokentooth. May I ask you to arrange his visit? Same arrangements you did for me would be ideal. However, I'd like for you to be present and accesible during the meeting, if at all possible."

Relaxing a bit, Brokentooth checked his planner, "The day after tomorrow, 13:24 sharp." He prepared another badge and wrote the activation words. "Whose ledger shall I have ready?"

"Lord Black."

Harry's Account Manager stopped writing, and looked directly into his eyes. "The title has been lain unclaimed since the death of the previous Lord Black, Mister Potter." At Harry's solemn nod, Brokentooth raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I see. You mean Heir Black. Is he willing to take the lordship?"

"He will, if not for the sake of his family, for mine. He is my godfather, and absolutely innocent of the charges that landed him in Azkaban without even the courtesy of a trial."

"Hmm... no wonder then why his vault is still open, though inactive. I'll contact Sharpedge and notify him of Heir Black's visit."

"Very good," Harry steepled his fingers in front of his face, unknowingly mimicking Gendo Ikari, "may I send my house elf to withdraw money for him?"

"No, Mr. Potter. We have no registry giving your elf access to his vaults. He would have to send a Black elf, or grant yours access during his visit."

"I understand; then, I will need a second moneybag charged to my account, containing 500 galleons worth of money, half in galleons, half in pounds. Assorted values, please."

Brokentooth nodded, and wrote the orders in a piece of parchment. He then slid it into a slot in his desktop. "It will be delivered to you before four minutes have passed. In the meanwhile, do you wish to review the Potter properties list?"

"I do, I assume you're familiar with their current conditions. I'd like to know if there is any in muggle Britain, preferably warded. If there isn't one. I'd like to rent one for a period of six months, renewable, to be heavily warded by your best warders. I'd like to add a Fidelius charm into the property, another person will be the secret keeper. Can it be done now, or do I have to wait until I'm of age?"

Brokentooth wrote that down, "Gringotts considers the slayer of a basilisk to be of age. Once we have corroborated the death of the beast, according to your narration, you will have full access to the main Potter vault, and will be recognized as the only holder of any contract, property, items, and money contained in it. Should you have not done the deed as you narrated, we will take the fees for the rendering team deployment from your trust vault; not to imply any falsehood on your part, Mr. Potter, it is merely standard practice."

Harry nodded, keeping silent while Brokentooth continued. "Once we have verified your account of having killed a basilisk. It will be rendered and the money obtained deposited in your vault, minus the costs of the rendering itself." At this, Brokentooth allowed himself a small smile, it was extremely doubtful Mr. Potter had actually slain such a beast. Even if he had, it would surely be a small one.

He continued, opening a folder and taking a picture from it, he slid it to Harry. "As things are, there is a small flat in muggle London that used to belong to your mother. It was a gift from your father, when their betrothal contract was announced. It is close to the Leaky Cauldron, but not in direct sight of it; three blocks away, in fact. I can authorize the Fidelius, against future deposits should your personal account be insufficient. Interest rate standard, of course."

"Certainly, Account Manager Brokentooth. I'd prefer to have your team at Hogwarts without Headmaster Dumbledore, and especially, Professor Snape's knowledge. They will probably try to interfere with the rightful distribution of the earnings from the rendering."

"I have no doubt of that." Brokentooth shrugged. "Dumbledore's meddling is very well know to Gringotts, and Snape's reputation certainly isn't flattering in any way."

Harry leaned back in his chair. "There is no need for your team to be even seen at Hogwarts, I have the means to transport them directly into the site, just let me know the day before the time they are ready to begin." He wrote some numbers in a piece of parchment. "I want these percentages to be delivered to these beneficiaries, this is after Gringotts has taken the cost of the rendering from the total value. This is for the net amount."

Brokentooth examined the percentages in the sheet. "Quite generous of you, Mr. Potter. I see you are including several individuals, Hogwarts School, and even a cat. May I ask for your reasons to that last one?"

"Yes. Every individual listed was harmed by the basilisk. We were incredibly lucky no one died. As the slayer of the beast, I want to compensate them." Harry leaned in, conspiratorially. "Plus, I want to generate some good will towards myself. The actual deposit of the money in their accounts will be done at a later date. At the moment, just keep it in separate coffers in my vault."

"It will be done, Mr. Potter." Brokentooth put the documents in perfect order, and returned them to their respective folders. "Anything else?"

"Yes. I want everything done in absolute secret. No one outside you and Heir Black's Account Manager can have the complete picture. I want to take my enemies by surprise, and any leak could risk their premature action."

"You can count on Gringott's discretion. I will personally select the rendering team, and the caster for the Fidelius."

"I do. I shall take no more of your valuable time." Harry stood up, and bowed deeply to the goblin. "May your vaults overflow with gold and your enemies tremble in fear at the mere mention of your name."

"And may your gold grow with your rightful vengeance on your enemies."

Harry tapped the badge, and disappeared from the office.

Brokentooth took a moment to straighten his stationery. "This is going to be interesting to watch."

* * *

_**Little Whinging, Surrey** _

Sirius Black paced around in the lonely building, almost biting his fingernails. He had spent several hours instructing Harry on the way to deal with the goblins at Gringotts. Basically, doing exactly the opposite of what his parents had taught him. The Potter family got much better results by dealing with the goblins the way the goblins themselves liked. His summers with Prongs had been very educational, and helped Sirius to get rid of many mistaken ideas that his mother had been engraving into his mind since he had been capable of thinking.

Still, Sirius feared he might have forgotten something, or that Harry made a mistake.

He was about to change into Padfoot when Harry appeared with a cracking sound.

"Pup! Are you okay?" Sirius hugged Harry, his godson stiffened for a moment, before relaxing again. He hugged Sirius back.

"I'm okay, Sirius. Everything went very well." He disengaged from the hug and put a couple of bags over an old crate, that they had been using as a table. "Here you go, some money for the next few days. Dobby!"

"Great Master Harry Potter calls Dobby!" The elf appeared with a pop. His new uniform neatly pressed.

"I need you to listen for Sirius' call, Dobby. He will ask you to buy some supplies in the Wizarding World, but can't go himself. Please go and buy them, but don't say his or mine names, wear normal house-elf attire, okay?"

The elf nodded vigorously, "Dobby be doing as Master Harry Potter says." he turned to Sirius, "Dogfather calls Dobby, Dobby be coming!"

"Thanks, Dobby. Now, could you bring us something to eat, nothing too elaborate, Sirius and I will be reviewing some documents and making plans."

"Dobby be thinking of sandwiches and crisps, is that okay by Master Harry?"

"Perfect, Dobby."

The happy elf popped away, Harry brought out a notebook and a biro from his pocket. "Now, Sirius, it's time to make a few lists. What I have, what I owe, what I can get, and who owes me. I can't fight Riddle the way he fights. But I can strike at him where it really, really hurts."

"Uh, who is this guy Riddle?"

"Ah. You better sit down, Sirius. I do have a story to tell you. And you are going to get really angry. And sad."

"Your mysterious friend again?" Sirius sat down as asked, and clasped his left wrist with his right hand, his forearms resting on his knees.

"Yes. Don't ask me how he knows, even if I tell you, you wouldn't believe it."

"So you said. I'm gonna need some proof."

"That, I can tell you how to get it, and from sources _neither_ he nor I could have tampered with."

Sirius raised an eyebrow and cocked his head, "Oh, yeah? Who can vouch for his character?"

"No one." Harry shrugged, "but his info can be easily verified, and it couldn't be falsified. But," Harry raised a finger, "I'll need you to be civil to a very nasty character. When the momento is right, I'll give you something to say to him, he will have to do as ordered. But, we have to leave that for when you take your Lordship or it won't work. Now, hold on to your temper and don't go too spare, right?"

Sirius breathed deeply. "I'm not gonna like it, right?"

"Nope. But you need to know." Harry put a couple of potion flasks over the box. "Calming draughts, just in case."

* * *

"A bloody half-blood?" Sirius had gone, indeed, spare. He was pacing around the place, looking like a caged lion. An angry caged lion. Fitting, considering he was a Griffyndor.

"Sirius," Harry said firmly, "sit down. The next part is important."

The future Lord Black trembled in fury. "That...that... impostor destroyed my friends! My family! And the trice-damned hypocrite wasn't even a pureblood as he... as he..."

"Sirius, you are hyperventilating!" Harry grabbed Sirius by the shoulder, and put the flask to his lips. Sirius nodded, and drank the liquid. He visibly relaxed a bit. "I'm gonna wreak the worst vengeance ever recorded on his lying arse! Hell and damnation, Harry! Historians won't dare to record it for fear to invoke my fury!"

Harry pushed him back down. "No. You won't."

That brought Sirius out of his rant. He looked at his godson as if the boy had suddenly sprouted three heads. "Wha..? But.. Harry..?"

"Listen to me. For you to do that, he would have to be alive. He took measures to return to life. And I don't wanna give him the chance. I'd rather make sure he never gets to live again, _ever_! He tried to kill me when I was a helpless baby. A _baby_ , Sirius! So, I won't hesitate to kill him when he is a not completely helpless ghost!"

Sirius caught a glimpse of a green flash in Harry's emerald eyes. It was _exactly_ the same colour of an Avada Kedabra.

"I want to condemn him and his gang of thugs to the worst punishment they couldn't ever imagine." Harry's smile reminded Sirius of a hunting animal. Not a wolf, he was very familiar with that one. It was... colder...

Suddenly, he remembered a movie Lily had dragged him and James to watch at a muggle movie teather. What was the name..? Teeth? Fangs?

...Jaws...

Harry's smile reminded Sirius of that bloody shark!

"I want to consign them to posthumous irrelevancy. I want them to be remembered as a bad joke! I want everybody who finds them in a history book to laugh at them, and think _'What a bunch of idiots!_ ' Will you help me?" Harry looked pointedly at the documents.

Sirius thought for a moment, he felt a similar smile on his own lips. "Yes."

With a pop, Dobby appeared, holding a big platter, full of food.

* * *

**_Author Notes:_ **

I thought Harry would like to extract some extra vengeance on Voldy and his followers. Believe it or not, Harry's "posthumous irrelevancy" speech comes from real life.

Mel Brooks, the comedian, was a soldier back during WWII, and he decided to mock the Nazi regime as much as humanly posible, turning them into such a joke that they would be consigned to 'posthumous irrelevancy'. If you'd like a sample of that, watch the movie "To Be or Not to Be" and the music video of the same title! Both are hilarious!

* * *

The name of Harry's Account Manager was inspired by the first Alien vs Predator miniseries, one of the Predator is nicknamed Broken Fang by the human colonists. It has nothing to do with Harry Potter, but I thought it would be funny.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Deserved Hostility/The Game is a(Pad)foot/Textbooks and Test Books_ **

* * *

"He... he repented?" Sirius tried to contain his grief for his little brother, with some success. Still, he was crying freely, while Harry patted his back awkwardly.

"He did. I will show you proof once things are on their way. For now, just accept what I'm saying."

Sirius nodded with a jerk of his head. "Sorry, Harry. I... I... failed you and I failed Regulus. I should..."

"You couldn't have done anything then, you and Regulus had most of your family against you, and you were only children."

"Still, I should have..." Sirius blew his nose on a handkerchief.

"Don't go there, please. The past is gone, and we can't change it. What we can do is change the future."

"...yes..." Sniffing heavily, Sirius wiped the tears off his face. "Now, where do we start? You have a plan, right?"

"Yes. First, I need your help to untangle this web of debts, both the Potter and Black families have a lot of connections with the rest of Wizarding Britain. Many are in the form of properties. Rented houses or business places, or even stores, importers or exporters of goods or providers of services." Harry smiled his shark-like smirk. "I bet more than a few are with dark families, even... Death Eaters."

"Ah. I see..." Sirius' mind began to work. "Demanding the payment of unpaid loans and rent!"

"Actually, that comes last; to use a muggle saying, I want to make then an offer they can't refuse. And to use another, have you ever heard the term 'Hostile Takeover'?" Harry looked at the pile of documents. "I'm not sure if I'm using those words correctly, but we will take over with extreme hostility!" He laughed, "We need to consolidate our resources. Prepare a stranglehold in the market, so they will have to deal with us." Harry raised a hand, his fingers grabbing at an invisible something, "And only with us. First with very favorable terms, including a mutual exclusivity clause somewhere in the contracts. We need somebody to play the part of a semi-gullible investor, to sweeten the pot. Then, when we are the sole provider, we ruin them." Then he closed his fist, as if crushing a bothersome insect. "And we take everything from them!" Sirius could have sworn Harry's face was lit from below for a moment.

Harry opened his hand, and for all the world, he just looked like a normal kid, talking about some game or another, "We will have to take our time, otherwise, they will suspect something is not right. That's where you will put that knowledge your parents burdened you with to work."

"They would roll in their graves if they could see me ruining perfectly respectable pureblood families!" Sirius laughed. "Prank the dead!"

Dobby popped in. "Master Harry, the Dung's shift be's ending!"

"Thanks, Dobby. Sirius, I have to go. Dumbledore's has me under watch. Some member of the Order of the Roasted Turkey or another is watching Privet Drive 4 at all times. But Mundungus Fletcher always leaves his post to do some business on the side. Check the documents later, you have a date at Gringotts tomorrow. I'm not sure when we can meet again, it depends on that aptly named Dung guy."

Sirius hugged Harry again, "Thanks, Pup. For believing in me. I will not fail you again."

"I know." Dobby popped away with Harry, back to Privet Drive.

* * *

They popped in Dudley's second bedroom with no one the wiser. After thanking Dobby, Harry sent the elf back to Sirius.

"Time for some gardening." The teen whispered. "Dung needs something to report, after all..."

Ripper prowled around in the ground floor. For a moment, he began to growl, as his owner had taught him to do in the presence of the skinny boy. Harry smiled, and snapped his fingers twice.

Ripper might not be the brightest dog in England. Not even in Privet Drive. But that had been the noise Dobby had used to train the dog for a new trick: Running away from Harry as fast as caninely possible and cower behind the couch as if all the Daleks in the world would come out from the telly.

Harry went out to the back garden, took the gardening tools from the shed, and began to work. Soon, he felt he was being observed. Very deliberately, he continued his work. 

* * *

_"So, how dit it go?_

_H."_

Sirius read the little note Dobby had brought him, it was written in a small piece of flimsy paper, with ragged holes on the top. Muggle paper, weird... He brought out a sheet of parchment and a biro from the package Dobby had brought him, and looked at the strange muggle implement for a few seconds, shrugged, and began to write his answer.

" _Dear Prongslet:_

_It went swimmingly! I have taken my Lordship, and I'm now fortifying myself to begin the daunting task of untangling the nicely thick ledger of the Black Family debts, contracts, and properties. It will be pure torture to do so in Black Island, I assure you! Sun, fine sand beaches, palms and coconuts!_

_And me cooped up in the house, Pup, checking parchmentwork! Sigh, well, it is a tough job, and I am the right man to do it! (Sips a bit from a fresh lemonade glass). I can barely wait until you can get here and enjoy this place. It's very nice, but lonely too._

_Now, just to further our Evil Revenge Plans, I have registered you as my Heir. As your grandmother was a Black, no one will have a way to dispute my choice. This will play nicely with a little trick I'm planning for the Big Shearing. You only have to sit back and enjoy the fireworks._

_I'd like to see the face of that little turd Malfoy when everything crashes on his head! Pity he won't be able to run screaming to daddy Abraxas this time! I'd pay a couple of knuts for a picture of that!_

_But I digress, back to the point, I have a few ideas I'd like to share with you next time the Dung hits the streets._

_In the meanwhile, thanks for allowing Dobby to run errands for me. He really got in the spirit of things; presently, we are choosing the most promising possibilities to begin buying shares from the businesses lines we agreed, some will even be bought with store, stock, and everything but the girl. By the time we're ready to strike, we will be so entrenched in their very own nests they will think we're part of their families. Dobby is a veritable fountain of knowledge! He had to serve Lucy and his partners during many business deals, both legal and/or illegal, and he knows where the skeletons were banished to, so he also knows a lot of the web they have woven to hide their activities._

_It will take a couple of years, but we will be major stockholders of several pillars of the community._

_If, and that is a big 'If', if I've ever written one, your friend's information is accurate, we should have time enough to undermine ol'Moldyshort's operation from under his feet. However, I won't put all my eggs in just one basket. We must discuss alternate plans and put them into motion. I just hope the stupid Minister won't deviate from his usual procedure, and my escape from the Azkaban Hotel draws some attention off of you, so you can have a nice year at Hogwarts._

_Your ever devoted and loving Padfoot, AKA Snuffles._

_P.S. Please let me know when you have the traitorous rat safely in your clutches, if only so I can sleep a little better!"_

He examined the letter, and added an Erase-After-Reading charm to the scroll. Once satisfied, he rolled it up. "Dobby." He called.

"How can Dobby be helping Master Harry's dogfather?"

"Please deliver this letter to Harry when he is alone, Dobby."

Dobby took the letter, inclined his head to a side, as if listening at something, and said. "Dobby be waiting for a little whiles, Great Master Harry Potter is outside house of nasty muggles."

"It's okay, Dobby, it can wait until he's back in his room. That's all for now."

Dobby nodded, and reverently put the letter in one of the pockets of his uniform. "Dobby will deliver dogfather's letter after dinner, then." He looked around the room, and snapped his fingers. Everything, except for the pile of documents over the desktop, was put in its place. Satisfied, he popped away.

Sirius took another sip of his lemonade, groaned, and continued his study of the amazingly boring stack of documents. The only thing that kept him interested was the idea of doing the best and biggest prank the real Marauders had ever attempted, "I should get Moony involved in this, he has the right head to find the loopholes..." he sighed, having Lupin's help would have to wait until he got his name cleared.

"Well, back to work. Time to make some miserable people really miserable. In more than one way!" He cackled for a moment, and for the next two hours, took a copious amount of notes on the sticky papers Dobby had brought, putting then on a big blackboard. Occasionally, he took one note down, replacing it for another, or simply changed its position on the blackboard.

* * *

Convincing Uncle Vernon to let Harry stay at the Leaky Cauldron had required some finesse. Well, that, and having Dobby infest Privet Drive 1, 3, and 6 with a small plague of conjured cockroaches. The Dursleys decided to have the house fumigated before the nasty insects could get in, and Harry managed to get Vernon to send him to stay at the magical inn, not wanting to pay for Harry's stay at the same hotel the Dursleys stayed at. So, Harry had been unceremoniously sent away, with just enough money to get to the Leaky Cauldron. "And be grateful you're getting that much money from me! I don't want to see you again until next year, do you understand, boy?" Vernon had roared while Harry finished packing the Dursleys' clothes.

Harry smiled at the memory. "Another one I owe you, Shinji. Give them what they want, indeed!" Of course, once the Dursleys were out of the picture, Dobby removed the fake insects.

Harry had met with Sirius a couple of times before his stay at the Cauldron, and the wizard had realized there was a little flaw in Harry's plans. "You need some way to shield your thoughts, Pup. There is no time to actually teach you Occlumency, you'll need to practice it at Hogwarts. I can show you the basics, but if, (Damn! I'm beginning to hate that word!), _if_ what your friend told you is true, both Dumbledore and Snivelous could get into your head and learn more than I'd like. So, I'll have to plant something to get them to back off while you build your mental shields up."

That had ended in a long session with a muggle cassette player and several tapes Sirius told Harry to buy. Harry wasn't entirely sure that could actually do something, but he trusted Sirius.

"Right, this is it." Harry said, spying the crowd gathered in Diagon Alley, looking for his friends. He and Dobby had staked the place out during the last week. Shinji had told him the basics about what would happen, but he didn't have the exact details. All he could remember was that it would be just before September the 1st. Along with Hermione and Ron, they would visit the Magical Menagerie store, as Ron wanted to have Scabbers checked by the clerk. The boy had no idea the rat was worried sick about being found, confronted, and probably killed by Sirius Black.

Harry was perfectly aware of that. He already had the replacement rat in a pocket, ready to be exchanged. The animal had already been primed with a modified loyalty potion, keyed to Ron. It would allow it to bond quickly with the youngest Weasley son.

As expected, it didn't take long for Harry to meet his friends. They enjoyed a sundae each at Fortescue, and went to buy their books, under the vigilant eyes of Mr. Weasley.

Harry impressed the manager at Flourish and Blotts by demonstrating the way to calm down the copies of The Monster Book of Monsters. That earned him a nice discount on his purchase, as the poor guy had been bitten several times, and now, he was not only safe, but he could also show his customers how to treat the savage book!

Hermione was duly impressed too. "Honestly, Harry! I wouldn't have known how to keep it from biting me! How come you knew that?"

"Well... I think Professor Kettleburn either retired or was replaced. He didn't look so good by the end of the year. Who do you think the Headmaster would turn to as a replacement on short notice?"

Both Hermione and Ron looked alternatively at Harry and at the ferocious folio. Ron even got a bit green. Both exclaimed at the same time, "Hagrid?"

"Well, this is definitively his style. A feral monster that becomes fluffy when treated with a little care. Right?" He patted the spine of the book, making it rumble with pleasure. Both his friends laughed at that.

"Hey, I think this could be very useful..."

"For what, Harry?" Asked Ron.

"Well, it just occurred to me that if I write to other students about how to treat the book, they might be a bit friendlier to me this year."

"That's a great idea, Harry! We can help you write the letters, right, Ron?"

"Yeah, I guess so. But later, okay?" He paused, looking for a credible excuse. "I-I still have to get the rat tonic for Scabbers, okay?"

Harry didn't miss the shadow that crossed Ron's face.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Meanwhile, in the Halls of Gringotts/The Rat, the Cat, and the Other Rat/Sometimes, Misery Doesn't Love Company_ **

* * *

* * *

**_Meanwhile, in the Halls of Gringotts_ **

* * *

  
Brokentooth worked at his office, preparing a dossier for his most important account holder. Well, potentially most important, there were several wizards with bigger accounts, that was true, but none of them were actively trying to grow their fortunes, they just sat on their useless arses and expected to be informed of the goblins' work on their behalf.

A soft pop preceded the entry of Ripskin, second in command of the rendering team. Next to him, stood the Potter house elf. They had came directly from wherever at Hogwarts Lord Potter had slain the basilisk. The elf wore a perfectly pressed black uniform, standing proudly next to Ripskin.

For a moment, at least; the excitable house elf wobbled for a second, and asked with trembling voice, "Can Dobby be resting in next room? Crossing Hoggywarts wards with people being tiring." Brokentooth pushed a button, and a concealed door opened. "Go ahead, you may take a nap if you need it."

"Dobby being thankful." He bowed, and walked through the door, closing it softly behind him.

Once the house elf had left the room, the hardbitten goblin put the case he carried on the desk. He opened the extremely well hidden drinks cabinet, poured himself a straight measure of goblin fangsnake liquor, knocked it back, shuddered, and took a seat in front of Brokentooth, who, by now, was extremely surprised.

"(Cousin? What's going on?)" he asked in Gobledygook, waving a hand and snapping his fingers in front of Ripskin's face. "(Have you finished the rendering?)"

The renderer shook his head. "(This... client of yours... is getting preferential treatment?)"

"(Well, yes. Standard top 15 level account holder treatment.)"

Ripskin fumbled with the locks of the case. "(Upgrade it to top 5.)"

Brokentooth cocked his head, "(What size of basilisk are you talking about?)"

"(At least one yard and three quarters.)"

"(That's not very impressive, a basilik that long wouldn't yield much.)"

The goblin served himself another glass, and emitted a broken, tittering laugh. "(That's not the length, it's the width, between the eyes! That wasn't the king of snakes! That was the sproking God-Emperor of all Reptiles!)"

Ripskin calmed down after a couple of seconds, looking sideways at Brokentooth, "(Cousin. You know I have made ornamental letter openers with basilik fangs, right? Too dangerous for actual use, but very valuable.)"

"(You gave me one yourself when my first son was born. You know that very well.)"

Ripskin opened the case with trembling hands, and unfurled a bundle of dark cloth, magically reinforced against tears, rips, and corrosion. "(I can make fighting grade short swords with this monster!)" he slammed a fist on the desk, making everything jump in the air. "(Plus an assortment of knives, daggers, and a whole army of letter openers! Just look at this!)" he revealed a fang the length of his own tigh. The thing was thicker than his wrist. "(There is enough basilisk there to cause a grifing drop on the price of basilisks fangs, meat, and skin! We estimate at least two barrels of poison, maybe two and a third!)"

Suddenly, he grabbed Brokentooth by the lapels of his suit, and pulled him until their foreheads crashed against each other's, "(By everything you hold sacred, do not make your client angry! Burning dragon's anger, cousin! If I had any daughters, I'd try to negociate a contract with this wizard. As things are, I will offer him my services and my sons' for any rendering he'd want, with a 10% discount! Next time you know, he'll manage to kill a fully grown dragon!)" As suddenly as he has grabbed then, Ripskin released the lapels. His cousin fell back on his chair.

Brokentooth poured himself a drink. "(I-I'll write you a contract for him, and recommend him to retain you as his renderer on call, then.")

Ripskin nodded gravely, "(Add a clause to all my future contracts that there is a wizard who holds priority. I'll select a second top quality team to replace mine should he call me before or during any other rendering.)" he paused. "(No penalties for me or my team.)"

"(Consider it done.)"

"(Good. Now, I'll go back. Burnfinger is about to begin with the skin removal, and I want to supervise it. Dobby! Are you ready?)"

The elf popped in, seemingly, the few minutes of rest had been enough, "Head renderer being ready to go back to big dark room?"

Ripskin switched back to English, "I am, elf. Take me back. We will call you again in a few days, once we have the beast ready for transport."

"Just call Dobby when yous ready."

They popped out, while Brokentooth examined the fang Ripskin had left on his desk.

* * *

**_The Rat, the Cat, and the Other Rat_ **

* * *

As Harry expected, Crookshanks launched himself at Scabbers. The traitorous rat, already on the edge from several weeks of stress and fear, ran out the Magical Menagerie as if all the devils from Hell were running after him.

Dobby was already waiting for him, invisibly perched on the store sign at the other side of the street. Before Ron could cross the threshold, the rat had been already stunned, disillusionated, and safely put in a reinforced cage that also inhibited the transformation back to human, should Pettigrew feel inclined to wake up and try to escape.

When Harry passed in front of him, Dobby tapped twice on the young wizard's shoulder. The agreed upon signal that the plan had been successful. Harry exhaled, relieved. Now, the next step of the plan was ridiculously easy. He looked around, ostentousciously trying to find the rat, actually, he was making sure no one was watching him too closely. Satisfied, he whispered, "Great job, Dobby. Go and put the rat in the safe place. After that, take as much rest as you need. I don't want you to overwork yourself." A soft pop was the answer he expected.

Harry had explained everything he knew about animagi to the house elf, and Nobby had some ideas to keep Pettigrew from escaping again. The main one was to keep him unconscious.

Harry followed Ron into a side alley, to look for Scabbers. "That damned beast tried to eat Scabbers!" Ron protested again.

"Mate, calm down. If you keep on shouting, you'll only scare Scabbers and it will take longer to find him. Knock it off already!"

"Uh... right, right. I'm just worried for Scabbers."

"Yeah, I know. Let's look over there," Harry pointed at Quality Quidditch Supplies. "Maybe he's hiding in the boxes."

"He might, he likes the smell of damp wood. I don't know why." Ron scratched his head.

While they searched the place, Harry paid attention to where Ron was and what was he doing, while he himself pretended to look for the lazy rodent. When the boy was distracted, Harry took the false Scabbers from his pocket, and broke a pellet that smelled like mint candy. For some reason, the rat really liked mints. Sniffing the mint got it alert in a couple of seconds.

"Hey, Ron! I found him!"

Ron practically apparated next to Harry; making some calming noises, he grabbed the rat from Harry's hands. "Well done, mate!"

"Don't even mention it." Harry wiped his hands on his trousers. "C'mon, let's go back and see if Hermione bought her owl."

She didn't buy an owl.

* * *

"I can't believe you bought that monster, Hermione! It will try to eat Scabbers again!"

Hermione scratched Crookshanks ears, the half-kneazle purred with pleasure, blinking slowly. "Crookshanks in no monster. Right, Crookshanks?" The flat-faced feline yawned, and kept on purring. "I don't see any problem, Ron. You can keep Scabbers at the boys dormitory, while Crookshanks stays with me in the girls side."

Ron just rolled his eyes.

Harry elbowed Ron, "Hey, maybe they just need a formal introduction."

"That's the most absurd thing I've heard, Harry."

"No, Ron, he's right." She grabbed Crookshanks, taking care not to harm him nor getting in the way of his claws, should he decide to attack.

Harry pulled out his wand. "Hermione, you keep on holding on tight to Crookshanks; Ron, hold Scabbers and get him close to Crookshanks face, let them smell each other."

Ron's face turned a greenish yellow. "But, What if he eats Scabbers?"

Hermione sighed, "He won't. But if he does, I'll buy you a new rat; or an owl, okay?"

Harry added, "I'll be ready to protect Scabbers, Ron. It's better they get to know each other while we can control them."

Ron hesitated, but finally yielded. "Okay, but I don't think it's a good idea."

"Harry, you better not harm Crookshanks." Hermione bit her lip for a moment.

"Just a weak Lumos to distract him, Hermione. Harmless." The girl was satisfied with that answer, and nodded once.

Slowly, Ron got "Scabbers" out of his pocket, and cautiously, he got it near Crookshanks' face.

Against everything Ron expected, Crookshanks simply nudged the rat with his head, and then began to lick it clean, purring happily all the time.

The rat, after an initial apprehension, calmed down and began to smell the cat.

A few minutes later, the new Scabbers was fast asleep between Crookshanks paws. "I can't believe it! They are like old friends!"

Hermione nodded, "Told you."

Harry smiled at the image of the two animals. Maybe there would be some peace at Hogwarts this year.

* * *

Meanwhile, the original Scabbers' life was about to get interesting.

In a very "Ancient Chinese Curse" sense.

* * *

**_Sometimes, Misery Doesn't Love Company_ **

* * *

Shinji Ikari sat alone in his compartment in the train. _'Strange,'_ he thought _, 'this train looks just like the ones at Tokyo-3, but those only had single seats, not private compartments...'_

' _I guess the long distance trains shared some bits of design with the intracity ones_.'He shrugged, _'Doesn't really matter anyway...'_ He put his chin on his palm, and looked out the window. Outside, the world was an unending, practically featureless white expanse; but somehow, he still had the feeling the train zoomed over the rails.

Apathetically, Shinji kept looking at the nothing outside. His thoughts kept running on their usual route. Dwelling on all the things that had led him to be an utter failure, to the death of his… of the people who somehow had the misfortune of being close to him in one way or another. On all the things he could have done. The things he _should_ have done.

The only sounds were the clacking of the metal wheels on the tracks and his own breathing. It was a soothing combination. Almost hypnotic… Soon, the world consisted only of whiteness, click-clacking, and the soft hiss of his breath.

Had he thought about it, he would have been surprised to notice his body relaxing, his eyelids closing, and his head falling back on the cushioned headrest.

For the first time in a very long time, Shinji Ikari fell asleep.

And for the first time in an even longer time, there were no nightmares to haunt his dreams.

* * *

He awoke with a start. Only to find he wasn't alone in the compartment anymore.

The seat in front of him was occupied be a small child. A girl about eight to ten years old, who seemed somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recognize her. She had fallen asleep too, and was mumbling something in her sleep.

Shinji stood up, and opened the overhead compartment, looking for a pillow or a blanket. He found both, and used them to make sure the girl was comfortable.

He sat down again, and looked at the girl. His left hand closing and opening with mechanical regularity. With an effort of will, he stopped the tic, and studied his companion for a moment, trying to remember why she looked so maddeningly familiar. The girl wore a striped, sleeveless shirt, red shorts, and black shoes with white socks. Her dark brown hair was tied up in a single pigtail, which stood up almost vertically. A small collection of freckles, barely visible, covered her cheeks and nose. She wriggled, making herself comfortable in her pillow.

Shinji made sure she was well covered by the blanket, and went to look for another compartment. He had no desire for companionship anymore. He didn't deserve to be around people. Not after he unleashed Third Impact on his world.

He didn't have to look far, the next compartment was empty; though there was a small purse on the forward seat. It was quite simple, made of tan leather. A little charm or toy hung from the strap. Shinji didn't pay any attention to the cute cat that eternally chased a ball of yarn. A severe looking pair of eyeglasses rested next to the purse.

Shinji closed the door, and tried the next compartment. There was no sign of any occupants, so he took the seat and resumed his watching at the white expanse of nothing outside.

The boy didn't know how long until the train arrived to its destination, but he didn't care.

* * *

**_Author Notes._ **

Curiously, according to several studies, rats and mice prefer mint over cheese. Cheese ranked third on the list of their favorite foods (no idea on what was their second favorite), but peanut butter is in the top 5, I’m sure. 

Yes, the little girl is a resident from Tokyo-3, she didn't actually appear in the series itself, only in some related merchandise. AFAIK, she didn't interact with Shinji in person; maybe if she had, things could have ended differently.

The purse belongs to someone Shinji _does_ know. Not really close, personally. But she had a big influence on events at Tokyo-3.


	6. Chapter 6

**_How Do You Deal with a Basketcase? By the Book/This is the (Doll)House Harry Built/Sand Falling In Egypt_ **

* * *

**_How Do You Deal with a Basketcase?  
_** ** _By the Book_**.

* * *

At Greengrass Manor, the eldest daughter, Daphne, stood precariously on a stool, while a hairy book snapped at her. "Daad! Help me! This thing is trying to eat me!" She yelled, in a very unladylike manner.

Her father, Lord Cyrus Greengrass, simply upended a basket over the book and sat on it. "Must I repeat myself once again, o'daughter of mine?" He chided her while he offered a hand to help her come down from the stood. "Use what you have at hand. Improvise!"

"Thanks, Dad! Can you stay there until that monster calms down?"

"I can, but I won't. I have a lot to do. Here," he put an envelope in her hand, "you got a letter."

Daphne turned the envelope over, not recognizing the handwriting. "Any hexes?"

"Nope. Completely harmless. Well? Aren't you going to open it?" He said, holding down the basket while Daphne sat on it. The book kept on growling from under the basket.

"Hmm.. It's from Potter..."

"What, he finally is answering all your letters wishing him a Happy Birthday, Yule, and Solstices? The stuck-up ponce finally wrote back?"

"Daad!"

"Won't you read that letter? It can't even be too personal. From what you have told me, and I quote, ‘ _the Potter brat is an arrogant idiot who only consorts with blood traitors and mudbloods!’_ Hardly the kind of boy I'd tolerate you associating with. And also, hardly the kind of language you should be using."

"Daaad… I was stupidly angry then. Now, let me read, okay?"

Lord Greengrass raised both hands in a placating gesture, "Sure, go ahead, ignore your Father."

Soon, Daphne had read the letter. "Interesting. Potter is apologizing for being such a recluse, and he asks for the chance to propose a study group."

"Really? Does he explain why he ignored all your letters?"

"No, I'll have to ask him that in person. In the meanwhile, he offers a bit of knowledge, as a gesture of good will. Apparently, I'm the only one in Slytherin he will share this with. If it pans out, I may have a bargaining chip with the rest of the House."

"I'll believe that when I see it, Daphne."

"Well, we can try it right now. It's about that stupid book!" Daphne patted the basket under her.

"Oh, no. No. No. No. I won't let you risk yourself handling that thing!"

"My very thoughts, Dad. This is what you have to do, according to Potter." She showed him the letter, tapping at the last paragraph.

Cyrus furrowed his brow. "That's it? That's how you tame this reject from a necromancer's lab?"

"Let's put it to the test." She stood up, holding down the basket. "It seems it calmed down. I'll lift the basket, and you tame it."

"I have a very bad feeling about this, but..."

Daphne released the book, Cyrus caught it and stroke the spine. To his astonishment, the book calmed down immediately. "This is ridiculous!"

"Agreed, but it works. I'll certainly get some favors owed before the first class! Or should I take cash?"

"Favors are always better. But now you are in debt with Potter. Take care on how you pay him back. I don't want you entered into a marriage contract against your will."

"Worry not, Dad. Potter wrote that he only wants to propose the study group. He says I'm not obligated to accept, I only have to listen to his proposal and he will consider us even. After all, I'm sure he will share this knowledge with the whole of Gryffindor."

"Only Gryffindor?"

"As far as I know, the only contact he has with Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw is in the Quidditch pitch."

"But if he wrote to you, without even being acquainted, he probably wrote to someone in the other houses."

"True, he may have done so, but I'm the only one in Slytherin who knows this!" She took the book, stroking the spine, the book began to purr.

* * *

Cyrus Greengrass was right, Daphne wasn't the only Third Year to receive a letter from Harry Potter. Susan Bones, from Hufflepuff; Neville Longbottom, from Gryffindor; and Padma Patil, from Ravenclaw (her twin, Parvati, from Gryffindor, was told by her sister) also received a similar letter.

All of them tried the technique with good results.

* * *

**This is the (Doll)House Harry Built**

* * *

Harry concentrated once more in doing his Occlumancy exercises. Sirius was a joker and a prankster, true, but he was quite a force to be reckoned with whenever he took things siriusly. Harry winced. That pun had just appeared in his mind. He shrugged, he had things way more important on his plate.

He breathed in. He breathed out. Again. Again. Again.

Soon he felt himself drifting into that weird mental state of not being asleep neither awake. In that state, his mental defenses were naturally at their weakest, and he only dared to enter under Dobby's vigilant watch.

The house elf spent his days with Sirius, but insisted on being available to watch over Harry while he worked on his Occlumancy.

Harry put his shoulder to the wheel, and began to work in his mindscape. He knew both Dumbledore and Snape routinely Legilimanced Hogwarts students, especially him (though that was an illegal act, both were careful to keep their Legilimancy discreet, always nonverbally and wandlessly, especially Dumbledore). He couldn't master the necessary techniques to block them from accessing his mindscape in the brief time he had available, plus, suddenly having defenses beyond his age would tip them that things had changed. so Harry decided to follow Shinji's advice.

_Show them what they expect to fínd, and they won't look beyond._

Harry studied his own mindscape, noting how it was distributed in a messy chaos of memories, thoughts and emotions.

Keeping that disorder was important.

However, after thinking long and hard, and inspired by an old film Dudley had watched for a few minutes before changing channel on the telly (of course, his fat cousin had changed the channel when he realized Harry was getting interested in the film), he had found a workable solution.

In the film, a man was shrinking uncontrollably, and at some point, he had been living in a doll house, as he was the size of a doll himself.

So, somewhere in the mess, Harry hid a doll house. One that looked like a failed homework project from Elementary School. No one would give it any importance, as it was deliberately made to look awfully bad and primitive. In fact, it was one project Dudley had ruined. But inside it, a smaller doll house would hold his true mindscape. That was the one he was working on to actually protect. Snape and Dumbledore could walk around the major mindscape, and only find Harry's superficial ideas, thoughts, emotions, and plans. Plus one or two embarrassing secret. Just to make things convincing.

The secrets were there only to distract them, especially Snape, from his true secrets. The greasy git was no better, in Harry's opinion, than Ripper. Just show them something weak to bite and chew on, and they would chase it to the end of the world.

At Sirius suggestion, Harry had memorized several particularly interesting songs. When his godfather explained why he had chosen those particular pieces, Harry had smiled like a crocodile. It was annoying at first, but eventually, the music simply ran as background noise, barely noticeable.

Sirius had sent Dobby to buy a book titled " _Protection Charm Your Mind: A Practical Guide to Counter Legilimency"_. The book was quite dry, but concise. Harry had read it cover to cover, and had selected a few techniques the book said natural Occlumens developed on their own.

Interestingly, the book had a long section on how to recognize a Legillimens' intrusion on one's mind. And Harry facepalmed when he recognized he himself had made access to his mind easier for both Dumbledore and Snape, by looking them right into their eyes. _'Well... too late to change that,'_ he thought, _'but now I can use it to my favor.'_

He worked diligently on his doll house/actual mindscape. Organizing things for easier access, better focus, and concentration.

Once he began to feel tired, Harry finished the exercise, and woke up fully. Next to him, Dobby kept watch. Reflexively, Harry rubbed his face with one hand. "Thank you, Dobby. I'm done for tonight. Time for both of us to rest."

"Great Master Harry Potter is okay? Dobby can be staying to protect Master."

"Thank you, my friend. I'll be safe. Go and rest."

Dobby's eyes got really shiny, "Great Master Harry Potter's compassion being as great as his power." He blew his nose in a handkerchief he took from the chest pocket of his uniform. "Dobby being watching Master's sleep being safe. Dobby be resting later."

Harry resigned himself. "Okay, but keep in mind I want you to have as much rest as you need. I don't want you to overtire yourself."

Dobby nodded frantically. "Dobby obeys."

* * *

**_Sand Falling In Egypt_ **

* * *

"Mr. Weasley. Sit. This will take a little time. One of our most important clients has a... special request for help. This will be a good opportunity for you to advance your career."

"Um.. Sir... Mr. Brokentooth, I already have a comission for Gringotts. I'm to be apprenticed here in Egypt. I'd have to cancel it and go back to England." Bill Weasley had no idea of why a high ranking Account Manager visited him in Egypt, but it would surely be very important.

"No, you wouldn't." Brokentooth's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"I don't understand, Sir."

"Our client already knows about your scheduled learning and practice. They wish to remain anonymous for the time being, but is quite impressed with your potential as a curse-breaker. They are willing to wait until you are a full-fledged curse-breaker, and will sponsor you financially and with high quality equipment, for this next year, or until they have need of your services should the acquisitions take longer. Do you accept? There won't be penalties if you refuse, but opportunities like this come rarely in life." Brokentooth put an hourglass on the table. The fine sand began to flow down. A quick calculation later, Bill realized he had about five minutes to think about the offer.

Bill Weasley scratched the back of his neck, thinking hard. Who could be putting so much faith in his capabilities before being even certified? What could be the job? And most importantly, why him? There were several curse-breakers with much better credentials than his.

Still...

"Sir? What would I have to do?"

"Simply your job. Our client will have several cursed objects in their hands before two years time at the most. Probably earlier. They need them purged of their... contamination. Dark objects of the worst kind. Therefore, if you accept, you will have to be, not only better that you are now, but better than anybody else in the curse-breaker staff."

The sand continued to fall.

"Will I have to recover the objects personally?"

"At least one of them will require extraction. Possibly more. Our client will recover others personally and deliver them to Gringotts' London Branch." Brokentooth answered cryptically.

Bill nodded.

"Can I assemble a team?"

"Our client didn't specify. My guess is that you won't, our client requires secrecy. I'll have to ask."

"Did the client tell you what kind of dark objects they need me to deal with?"

"No. They only said the objects are of the worst kind."

"Will I have to break into living people's property?"

"No. Unless things change drastically."

"How many objects?"

"The exact number wasn't revealed. My best guess would be more than three, less than ten. And they are all part of a matched set."

"Sequential or simultaneous purging?" It was always best to ask as many questions as could be answered before accepting, Bill thought.

"That will depend on analysis. Simultaneous would probably be more dangerous, but if they are a linked set, destruction of one might strengthen the others."

The last few grains of sand were about to fall, when Bill asked the last question, "Danger Bonus?"

"For the purging of every object, for recovery, and for full success. Our client is very demanding and very generous."

"I accept."

"Good choice, Mr. Weasley." Brokenfang opened a drawer, and pushed a thick contract towards Bill. "This contract covers everything we have discussed. Read it carefully and sign the usual places. Afterwards, Sharpedge and you will go over your current assignment; if you need more or better equipment, within reasonable limits, it will be assigned to you and your team. Choose carefully, be practical and frugal. At the end of your assignment, you will have to justify the equipment required. Note that frivolous use of the equipment would be fined."

"Understood, Sir." Bill began to read the contract, while Brokentooth stood and began to gather his stuff, putting everything back into his black suitcase.

"Take your time, Mr. Weasley. I will be at the mess hall." Brokentooth opened the door, and turned to Bill before going out into the suffocating heat. "Succeed in this job, and our client will be very favorably inclined towards Gringotts, towards you, and maybe even your family." The goblin closed the door after him, leaving Bill to his reading.

The unsaid message was very clear. _'Don't mess this up, or else_..."

Bill continued reading the contract.


	7. Chapter 7

_**The Three Faces of a Rat** _

* * *

**_Face One: The Rat-That-Sung_ **

* * *

"Hello, Peter." A ghostly voice barely got through Peter Pettigrew's consciousness. He felt sick. Everything went dark.

* * *

"Hello, Peter." The voice repeated. Peter tried to shake his head, but couldn't. He felt sick, his head swam with the barest movement.

* * *

"Hello, Peter." The voice sounded by the third time. Peter struggled to open his eyes. He couldn't see much, everything was dark. He licked his lips, trying to wet them, but his mouth was awfully, painfully dry.

* * *

"Hello, Peter." The voice again, Peter knew that voice... from somewhere. He knew that voice very well, but couldn't place it. His head throbbed with each beat of his heart, the light hurt his eyes. He felt his consciousness slip. He might have fainted. But he had no way to know for sure, he was terribly disoriented, just like he had been when he had hit his head back when he was a child. He had puked then. Mercifully, the nausea was absent now. Mostly. He felt his eyes rolling up, and darkness swallowed him again.

* * *

"Hello, Peter." The constant repetition had begun to be annoying. He almost could recognize it. He opened his eyes and looked around, trying to move his head as little as possible. Wherever he was, it was very dark. There was some light, but it was very weak.

Finally, he saw who had been talking, and his heart almost stopped.

"J-James..?"

"Hello, Peter." Somehow, James Potter was right in front of him, his black hair sticking up in every direction, and with his eyes behind those eyeglasses of his. Still looking as he did over a decade before. However, now he looked a bit... luminous? Translucent even. Peter tried to make sense of the situation. "B-b-b-but you a-a-are..."

"The word you are looking for, my dear friend, is _'Dead'_. And you know very well why. Don't you, Peter?" The words were soft, smooth. like the edge of a razor wrapped in white silk.

"N-n-n-no... It can't be! He killed you! He killed you!"

"Yes, Peter. He did. He killed me. He killed Lily." James stood impossibly on the ceiling, it took a very long time for Peter to realize it was actually him who hung head down. He struggled against his bonds. "He turned my son into an orphan. You must forgive me if I sound a bit PISSED!"

Peter tried to change into his rat form, but found himself unable to change. His head throbbed painfully.

"There's no need for that, my very dear friend. You can't go now. We are about to have a lot of fun. You and me. The Dead Marauders. Sounds like one of those Muggle bands Lily liked to listen, don't you think, Peter?" The smile on his face... Peter never had seen such a smile on James' face, so full of predatory malice and anticipation. It was so angry and cold that Peter reckoned his chances to survive this were shrinking by the second.

James walked around Peter. The rat animagus turned his head around, trying to keep him on sight. He trembled violently with a fear that chilled his very bones. "B-b-But, how?"

"How come you are dead, you mean? Well, my friend, guess who found you after all! It was a grim tale indeed!"

"S-s-Sirius?" He whispered.

"Right in one!" James clapped. "Now, you and I are going to have a nice, long, and meaningful talk. I suggest you don't spare the details. Because, once you have told me everything, and I mean everything, it will be Lily's turn."

"Oh..."

" _Oh_ is correct, Peter. You will meet her soon, that's something you can't avoid, only delay. So, start talking, you miserable traitor. Each minute you talk is one minute you won't have to face Lily. I want to know everything about the Death Eaters, about Voldemort. Oh, don't flinch, the wanker can't touch you here. Now, as I was saying, I want to know _everything_. Names, places, methods, secrets, communications, how do you recognize each other. Every little thing. In _excruciating_ detail _."_

"No! He will kill me!"

James flickered for a moment. "He can't, Peter. You are already dead." He stepped aside, revealing a body lying on the cold stone floor. It seemed to have been mauled by a savage monster. A big pool of blood surrounded it. "That body, you ask? Can't you recognize it, Wormtail? Why! It's yours!" A metallic smell filled Peter's nostrils, and he was close to release the content of his stomach. "You can't die again. Voldemort cannot kill you. Bloody hell, I can't kill you either." He chuckled ominously. "But I can hurt you. A lot."

"No, James. Please, you don't understand. He would have killed me..."

"You should have died. We would have died to protect you. But well," he shrugged, "if you'd prefer to talk to Lily, who am I to stand in the way?"

"No! No! Wait! Please. I'll tell you everything, please, don't let Lily get me, please, James, help me."

An expression of deep loathing and repugnance crossed James' face. "Start talking, rat."

Peter Pettigrew talked. For a very long time.

* * *

**_Face Two: That was Now, this is Then_ **

* * *

Peter Pettigrew woke up with a start.

"Holy Merlin..." he whispered. "Wha...?" He rubbed his face, noticing how smooth and firm his skin was. Gone was the short, wiry stubble that passed for his facial hair. His face was incredibly smooth, just as it was... when...

"This can't be..!" He hissed, looking around before finally realizing he was in his own bed. Not inside a cage or a nest made of old pieces of cloth or shredded newspaper. Not even a bare stone cell visited only by foul Dementors.

The rat animagus patted the bed, then his pyjamas. It was very dark, but still he recognized the clothes he wore. Red with yellow trim. Gryffindor colours.

Suddenly, a pair of hands yanked the bed curtains open. Light flooded the place, and a voice he hadn't heard for over ten years broke the silence, "Are you going to get up anytime soon, Peter? You will miss breakfast!"

"Remus..? Is that you?" Peter stammered.

"Who else? James and Sirius are already in the Great Hall." The wereboy grabbed Petter by the shoulder and asked with worry in his voice. "Are you okay? You are very pale, you seem to have seen a ghost..."

He held the worried expression on his face for a couple of seconds, finally surrendering to the snicker, "As if there wasn't enough ghosts in Hogwarts. Now, hurry up. I don't wanna miss the action"

"A-action?" Peter stuttered, "What kind of action?"

"I could tell you, but I think you'll like the surprise."

* * *

The duo entered the Great Hall just in time to watch their friend, James Potter, being knocked back a dozen steps. An angry red headed girl yelled at him. "I don't want your stupid gift, you moron! I want you to leave me alone! Get that into your thick Neanderthal skull already, Potter!"

She turned around, and stomped her way out of the Hall, leaving behind a surprised James Potter, sitting on the floor, amidst the roaring laughter of the students. He picked up the small box, stood up, dusted himself, remembered he had a wand, and vanished the dust he had picked up after his fall.

He raised his hands like a circus ringmaster, "Worry not, gentle public, I am fine."

Next to him, Sirius Black rolled on the floor, having fallen from the bench, laughing his heart out.

Peter smiled.

Now, this was what life was about!

Instead of...

He swallowed a lump. Barely holding his tears.

Instead of hiding as a pet rat at the home of a big family, eating scraps and fearing for his life every second of every day.

He shuddered when Remus tapped his shoulder. "C'mon. Let's get Sirius back on his feet."

They were at that when finally, Professor McGonagall arrived next to them, a stern look on her face. "Ten points from Gryffindor for causing a disturbance during breakfast time." She went out the Hall, in the same direction Lilly Evans had.

Hiccuping ocassionally Sirius held James' shoulder. "Man, that was great! I just won ten sickles." His good humour vanished when he realized who had just arrived.

"I see you are still trying to sully yourself with the mudblood, Potter." Lucius Malfoy sneered, followed by Snivellous Snape, who had a strange expression on his sallow face.

"Shut up, Malfoy."

"A witty answer, I see, is just out of your reach again, Potter."

Remus grabbed James wand hand before he could do something. "Don't." He hissed. James looked around, and realized several professors were looking quite intently in their direction. He nodded back at Remus.

Peter remembered that day with great clarity. He had often wondered what could have happened if he had done things differently that day...

Maybe he could do that now...

* * *

**_Face Three:_ ** **_This is a Job for Wormtail!_ **

* * *

"There's a traitor among us. Dumbledore's Order has been showing up at our rightful purging of the unworthy with alarming regularity." The Dark Lord leaned back on his high throne, the green acromantula silk shifted under his weight.

Suddenly, he sat straight, and fixed his red eyes on the only Death Eater present, Peter Pettigrew. He hissed his next words. "And you... Wormtail."

The animagus shrank pitifully under his master's gaze. Voldemort continued, "You, are the key to root them out.”

Peter almost sighed in relief, but somehow stopped himself from doing so. The Dark Lord had a tendency to interpret such gestures as an admission of guilt.

Voldemort beckoned at him, indicating the hard floor next at the next level, beneath his throne. "Kneel."

Pettigrew obeyed immediately. He looked at the base of the elaborate throne, and waited. Trying to anticipate his master's wishes was awfully dangerous.

A couple of minutes later, he felt the tip of a wand pressing against his weak chin, guiding him to raise his head. He followed the unspoken instructions, and found himself looking into the scarlet eyes of the Dark Lord. "You are weak." He growled. "You are insignificant."

"Y-Yes, Master."

"Silence!"

Peter shut up, unwilling to provoke his lord.

His point made, Voldemort continued. "The other Death Eaters look at you and what do they see? Nobody of worth, a harmless wizard, a nobody."

Peter wanted nothing more than look away from those deep red eyes, but couldn't even blink. "And what do Dumbledore's lackeys see in you? Nothing! A joke at the best and a pet at the worst! Isn't that true?"

With a barely heard voice, Pettigrew answered. "It's true, Master."

The wand kept pushing up, forcing Peter to stand up. "I say they are mistaken!"

Pettigrew gasped. He had expected another round of humiliation. "M-master?"

The wand kept on pushing him upwards, until he stood up as tall as he could, Voldemort had risen from his throne, and looked at him from above, his eyes seemed to burn with conviction. "I say you are the truest and most faithful of my followers!"

"Yes...". Peter whispered, hoping this time he wouldn't be Crucioed.

"I say you are the one who will bring me the heads of the traitors on a silver platter!"

Peter felt a wave of pride coursing through his veins, a feeling of power, of righteousness he had never felt before. "Yes!" His voice barely quivered this time.

"I say that the very same things they mock you for shall bring you my favour!"

"YES!" Pettigrew didn't need the wand under his chin to stand tall, he closed his fists with determination.

The Dark Lord smiled like a snake. "You will hide among them! You will pay attention to their words and actions."

"I will, Master!"

"You will set everything down. Your eyes are my eyes, your ears are my ears, Peter Pettigrew."

"YES, MASTER!"

"You will be my punishing hand, the sword of my revenge."

"I AM YOUR REVENGE, MY LORD!"

"Good. Now, you are to look weak, pathetic even, so they won't suspect."

Pettigrew seemed to deflate, still, something in his stance had changed. Instead of the cornered rat he usually looked like, now he had some steel in his spine.

"You will keep a carefully detailed record of everything you see and hear among the other Death Eaters. And in that damnable Order of the Phoenix you shall do the same. I want you to look for their weaknesses, their vices, whatever a cunning enemy might use to turn them from, or even to, the true path. You will bring that information to me and me alone. I will then know who is the traitor among us, destroying them will be in your hands. You will tell me who in the Order of the Phoenix can be shown the True Way and who shall die crawling in darkness. Do this for me, and you will rise among my favorites, nothing will be beyond your reach."

Visions of power danced in Peter Pettigrew's mind. He didn't notice when Lord Voldemort had stored his wand back into its holster.

"Now go, my favored son, begin your mission with my blessing. Perform well, and nothing will be denied to you."

Peter bowed deeply, kissed the hem of Voldemort's robe, and with each step towards the doors, he seemed to revert to his meek and weak behaviour.

By the time he crossed the threshold, he was the pathetic rat once again.

* * *

Nope, I’m not mixing stories. There is a reason why Peter Pettigrew is in these three mutually contradictory scenes.   
it’s all part of... The Plan. 


	8. Chapter 8

**_And So, It Begins/Do I Have To?/_ **

**_A Trip of Nine Hours Begins With a Single Train Station_ **

* * *

**_And So, It Begins_ **

* * *

"So, what do you think, Dobby?" Sirius Black stepped back from the big blackboard.

"Dobby be thinking Great Master Harry Potter will be pleased." Dobby answered, sitting on the desk and swinging his feet alternatively, like a child. "Dogfather be knowing where to start buying?"

"Indeed I do, my little friend. Indeed I do." Instead of a pointer, he used a practice wand he had found in a bedroom. The thing only shot small puffs of smoke or coloured sparks, but he felt naked without a wand. Sirius tapped on a piece of green sticky paper near the left end of the blackboard. "Our first step is a store very dear to my heart actually."

Dobby waited. He had realized early that Sirius Black loved his dramatic pauses. He simply cocked his head to show his interest.

"Zonko's! We need a small business with low or seasonal sales. Right now, Zonko's is getting a lot of business, as Hogwarts students stock on prank stuff. One week after classes begin, sales go down. And I mean, really down. The store barely scraps enough money to stay open between Hogsmeade Weekends. Therefore, here is our first step towards World Domination!" He gleefully cackled like a maniac for a few seconds

Sirius paused. Then cackled again. He waited two seconds more and seemed to deflate. "Dammit! I was hoping for a dramatic lightning bolt."

"Weather being too good, thens. No cloudies at all."

"Yeah, Dobby." He seemed crestfallen for a moment. He sighed and continued. "Anyway, James, Remus... the rat, whose name will forever be filth, and myself spent many happy hours wandering between Zonkos's shelves. Old man Zonko deserves a good retirement. Harry has some interesting ideas about how to extend the store's black ink periods."

"Master Harry liking some Zonko's products. But he be thinking some others are being for bulls."

"For bullies, Dobby." He kept silent for a moment. "But he is right. Some products are borderline abusive. Once we have the store, we will be phasing them out."

The excitable house elf nodded enthusiastically. "Master Harry be liking that."

"I'm sure of that, we will need new developers to renew the inventory, though."

"Dobby being sure Great Master Harry Potter be no having problem to find them people."

"I'll prepare a business proposal for Sharpedge to refine before he visits Ol'Zonko. I wonder if Sandra Weatherwax still works at the counter." He sighed. "Anyway, I better prepare a few extra proposals for other stores. We need to start moving. In the meanwhile, how is our guest?"

"He be crying still."

"Good. I'm glad I don't have to deal with him anymore. The autoquills have enough parchment and ink?"

"Theys being prepared with renundanfis."

"What are those, guv?"

"Lotsa more ink and parchment; several for each stack, Master Harry's Dogfather."

"Ah, redundancies. Very good. Harry will be very proud of you when all this ends, I am sure. Heck, I'm very happy to have your help!"

Dobby smile was so wide it almost looped around his head. It was a disturbing sight, but Sirius was getting used to it.

* * *

**_Do I Have To?_ **

* * *

In his bed, Harry Potter laced his finger under his head, looking at the ceiling of the room as if he wanted to memorize it.

' _An unfamiliar ceiling_.' He mused. ' _So different from the underside of the stairs, with its cobwebs and dust. Or from Dudley's Second Bedroom.'_ Harry sighed.

Sometimes, while working on his mindscape, Harry imagined his friend from the other side could listen to his thoughts. He had found that imagining having him listening helped him to focus his thoughts and helped him to make plans. ' _I'm just procrastinating, Shinji. I am_ _afraid.'_

He turned around in the bed, the pillow and sheets had a clean smell to them, very different from the artificial smells of all the detergent and softeners Aunt Petunia insisted on for the Dursley's washing. Done by Harry, of course.

No, this bed simply held a faint smell of real pine and real lemon. ' _Sorry, Shinji. I got distracted from the real issue.'_

He turned face up again, looking at the ceiling, and the faint moonlight that entered through the window. ' _I guess I can let things happen like you know they did in the books. Meet with Ron and Hermione at the train, in Moony's compartment, and wait. But, I really don't want to mess with a Dementor.'_

The imaginary Shinji said nothing, of course, but Harry pretended he had said, " ** _You could change things, sit somewhere else. But is that what really worries you? What are you really afraid of?"_**

' _I...'_ Harry shut his eyes, tears threatening to spill. ' _I don't know if I am brave enough to hear my mother beg for my life, to hear my father warning her to flee, and to see them dying. …I don't know if I can do it. And if I manage to change things, I won't even remember her voice..."_

" ** _I wish I could tell you what to do, Harry. But I can't. I am just a mental idea you have made of the real Shinji Ikari, I don't know anything you don't, and my knowledge of the real Shinji is limited to what you know of him. Not much, to tell the truth."_** Imaginary Shinji answered, shaking his head with a deep sadness. ' ** _I can, however, ask questions. Even as a figment of your imagination, we can look at things from different angles.'_**

' _Go ahead_..' Harry hoped for something to help him chose what to do.

" ** _Well... do we even know which end of the car the Dementor got in..?"_**

Horrified, Harry sat on the bed and cradled his face on his hands. ' _God! I could sit closer to the monster instead of getting away!'_

Shinji nodded. " ** _And Professor Lupin could take too long to get to wherever you are_** _."_

' _I could get Kissed..!_ ' Harry gasped in horror.

" ** _You or somebody else_**." Shinji added, somberly.

Harry pressed his lips together until they almost disappeared. In his mind's eye, he could see images of his friends, turned into mere husks, deprived of everything that made them, them. Imagining Hermione as a vegetable was especially horrendous to Harry, though he was too shaken by the idea to ask himself why that image was more vivid than the others. ' _No.' He thought firmly. 'No one else.'_

His choice taken, Harry nodded to himself _. 'Thank you, Shinji, I know what to do.'_

Imaginary Shinji shrugged. " ** _Anytime, Harry, I'm glad to help. One last suggestion? Have a lot of chocolate at hand. Not close, at hand. It might be useful."_** He looked around, awkwardly. " ** _Now, if you don't mind, I have some work to do in your doll houses."_**

As soon as Harry nodded, Imaginary Shinji vanished, back into Harry's mindscape. The Japanese teen had appeared spontaneously in it a few days after Harry had begun to build it. Sirius knew there was a mind construct in Harry's mind palace, but didn't know who it was.

It took a while to convince his godfather that the presence wasn't malevolent. Harry had to disclose that it was a friend. Somehow, Sirius had managed to convince himself it was Dobby

* * *

**_A Trip of Nine Hours Begins With a Single Train Station_ **

* * *

Harry came out of his room at the Leaky Cauldron, half amused and half annoyed by the Weasley boys arguing. As he already knew about Sirius Black and his _'crimes'_ , he saw no reason to eavesdrop on Mr. Weasley discussion with his wife. He just waited until the pair went upstairs to look for the stuff Ron had bought for Scabbers; a bottle of rat tonic, and went back up to his own room.

On the way up, he read the label of the bottle, just to check if the tonic could harm the new rat. He memorized the main ingredients, making a mental note to ask Hermione and Neville if there could be any secondary effects.

After all, the rat was doing him a big favour.

* * *

The next day, Mr. Weasley made a big production about the two cars the Ministry had put at their disposal to carry the group to King's Cross Station, to board the Hogwarts Express.

As always, the last minute frantic packing was both amusing and irritating, especially as both Harry and Hermione had everything packed since the previous night.

Ron looked frantically for Scabbers, until Hermione directed him to look in Crookshanks wickerwork basket. Both cat and rat looked out the open door of the box. Actually, they looked as old friends sharing a joke at the expense of everybody else.

"Honestly, Ron. You shouldn't wait until the last minute to pack. I'm almost sure you will have to owl your parents for some thing or another you forgot in the rush."

Harry smiled at Ron's eloquent answer.

"But, but..." Ron finally choose to change tactics, looking around, he found the perfect excuse. "Scabbers! Come here, quick! He's gonna eat you!"

Harry had had enough of Ron's antics. "Relax, mate. They are friends, just leave them be."

"But he attacked Scabbers back at the store!"

"Did he?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "I think he was just a little bit too enthusiastic to greet Scabbers. Weren't you, Crookshanks?"

The cat just blinked slowly and yawned. The rat stood up on its back legs, it's left front paw brazenly put over Crookshanks shoulder. A loud purring could be heard all over the room, even over the noise of packing done by several Hoghwarts students.

"See? They are quite happy there. And frankly, I prefer them that way. Crookshanks can be a little wilful, and it seems Scabbers keeps him calm."

"Hermione is right, Ron."

The red-headed boy sulked for a moment, until Mrs. Weasley prodded him, not too gently, to finish packing already.

Harry and Hermione took advantage of their having nothing to do while the Ministry cars arrived. They discussed the ingredients in the rat tonic. Apparently, they were both relaxant and invigorating. Harry was a bit tempted to try it, until Hermione, guessing what he was thinking, gently dissuaded him.

* * *

The trip to the train station was a bit tense. Now that Harry knew what was going on, he could recognize the furtive glances around of the adults.

They were afraid.

Afraid the mad murderer, Sirius Black, would jump from behind a bush and kill everybody in Voldemort's name.

Harry participated in the friendly arguing, but more to keep appearances than out of any real interest. He could feel himself growing distant from the Weasleys, and it really pained him.

* * *

There it was. Gleaming red in the light. Promising a fast and comfortable trip back to school.

Harry felt his heart flutter in his chest. A mix of opposite emotions coursed through him.

On one hand, he felt the powerful call back to the place he considered his first true home. On the other, he knew what awaited him during the trip.

Deadly danger, and a memory he both dreaded and longed for. The voices of his parents.

And their deaths.

For a moment, he just stood there; his mouth dry, his hands trembling a bit.

"Are you okay, mate?" Harry felt a hand shake his shoulder gently.

"Yeah.. I was just... thinking..." he shook his head, and followed the group into the train.

He was close to boarding, then he saw a strangely dressed wizard, accompanied by a girl with pale blond hair.

 _'They must be the Lovegoods.'_ He thought.

The sight of a couple of small radishes hanging from the girl's ears confirmed his suspicions. Harry stopped, he tapped Ron's shoulder, and told the boy, "Save me a seat, Ron. I'll be there in a minute." Before Ron could answer, Harry was already walking towards the pair.

"Excuse me," He addressed the wizard, "Are you, by any chance Mr. Xenophilus Lovegood?"

The man scratched his head, surprised at being recognized. "Well... yes. Yes, I am."

Harry smiled disarmingly at him, "Great! I was wondering if I could bother you for a moment. I would like to subscribe to The Quibbler. Please excuse me if its a bad moment." He smiled to the girl, her face lit up immediately.

"Hmm... you see, I have no subscription forms with me at the moment." He patted his robe distractedly. "Tell you what, I'll owl my daughter one tomorrow morning and you can pay her for the subscription. I will send you the latest issue along with the form. What name should I put to the owl?"

"Oh, sorry, Sir. Where are my manners? Harry Potter, at your service. Call me Harry, please." He extended his hand. The girl's eyes opened wide in surprise. Once he had shaken hands with the wizard, he turned towards the still surprised girl. "I look forward to talking with you in Hogwarts, Miss Lovegood."

"Luna. Fair is fair. If I can call you by your given name, you can call me by mine." She clutched her bag against her chest, looking at Harry with a gentle intensity. "You have noticeably less wrakspurts than the average wizard."

"Is that bad?"

"No, no. That's very good. It means they don't mess with your thinking."

Harry smiled again. Before he could say anything else, Ron interrupted them with a shout from the train. "C'mon, Harry! Hurry up!"

Harry waved back at him. "Please excuse me, I must go. I look forward to reading The Quibbler and talking to you, Luna. I'll be seeing you, Mr. Lovegood, a pleasure to meet you." He bowed respectfully, and walked back to the train, leaving behind two pleasantly surprised Lovegoods, and quite a lot of raised eyebrows.

Their little exchange would be food for the Hogwarts rumour mill, even before the train left the station.

* * *

**_Author Notes:_ **

I couldn't resist the dramatic exclamation followed by a lightning bolt!

* * *

I don't think the staff at Zonko's was ever mentioned by name (I could be wrong...) so I made up a name to homage one of my favorite characters. If you have read a Terry Pratchett's Discworld book, its very probable you'll recognize the surname Weatherwax. Both as the Headmaster of Unseen University, and the formidable Esmerelda (Granny) Weatherwax.

* * *

And lastly, the bit about Dobby's smile almost looping around his head, comes from the slightly disturbing Ren & Stimpy show, especifically, the _Stimpy's Invention_ episode.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Bagman is Bagged/Sometimes, Misery Doesn't Love Company/_ ** **_C.S.I. Hogwarts (Cutting Snake In Hogwarts)_ **

* * *

**_Bagman is Bagged_ **

* * *

"Mr... Ludovic Ferdinand Bagman... yes? Is that your full name? For the records."

"Umm... yes. What do you want? I didn't expect to get a Gringotts portkey with an urgent call to come. I am a very busy man, so start talking."

The goblin shuffled his papers, putting then in order, and placed them neatly into a folder, taking his own sweet time; to show this insolent, insignificant, annoying wizards he would not be intimidated. The folder was very thick with pieces of parchment of different sizes and shapes.

"We at Gringotts have called you to speak about your outstanding debts, Mr. Bagman. It seems you are in... an annoying financial, how can we say it? Oh, yes, _situation_. Is that true?"

Bagman wiped his hand over his round face, his bluster spent far too quick for Sharpedge's taste. Not a worthy opponent, indeed. He hid his displeasure, and continued looking at Bagman with a controlled expression on his face. Finally, Bagman answered. "Nothing that can't be solved, Sharpedge."

"Of course not. We know exactly how much and to whom you have lost in... Ill advised bets. And there is the knot in the rope you have tangled your neck into."

"Hey! I won't have you goblins casting aspersions on my good name!"

"Of course not, Mr. Bagman. We at Gringotts pride ourselves in managing financial matters, and only financial matters. Except for a few side services available, of course, but that is not important now.” 

"I will pay my creditors by the end of this very week, I'll have you know." The man snorted indignantly. True, he could pay, but it would be a short-cash season.

"There will be no need for you to pay them individually." The goblin laced his hands over the folder; smiling, showing his sharp, pointy teeth.

"Wait a minute." Bagman looked at the goblin with half-closed, suspicious eyes. "What do you mean with that?"

"I mean, Mr. Bagman, that we have called you here to notify you that from now on, you have only _one_ creditor. One client of ours has, very generously, decided to buy all of your debts, consolidate them, and offer you a... umm.. side job in exchange for the clearing of your debt. If you manage to do your job to our client's satisfaction, your entire debt will be considered as paid; and if you do an outstanding job, you might even get a generous reward."

"And just exactly who is he?"

"Our client wishes to remain anonymous, Mr. Bagman. We at Gringotts respect our clients wishes to the best of our abilities, as long as they breach none of the treaties between our peoples. Enough to know, you could benefit greatly from our client's... approval and patronage. Keep in mind that our client has a soft spot for a future lord of one of the most important families in Wizarding Britain. This arrangement will help pave the way for said future Lord to enjoy a very, very prosperous future."

"Which family? I won't be sticking my neck out for an upstart house!"

"The family will eventually revealed to you, Mr. Bagman, if, _and only if_ , you accept our client's terms and conditions. They want you to know who you are working for, up to a certain point. Enough to say it is one of the oldest and most powerful families, magically, politically, and economically. Our client wishes to curry their favour too."

"What would I have to do, supposing I accept?"

"First, you'd have to give a Wizard's Oath not to indulge in any gambling of any sort during your affiliation to our client, and to keep secret any information you have not been specifically authorized to reveal. From the amount of creditors our client bought your gambling debts from, it's a very sensible request." Sharpedge’s disapproval was very clear in his raspy voice. "You only have to promote certain enterprises, shops, and business places among the highest echelons of Britain's society. Attend to parties, sports events. That kind of things. You can also invest in them, of course, if you want to. If you don't, you won't be obliged. Lastly, our client wishes to buy your shares to the Daily Prophet; at today's price, they can net you a nice sum. Our client is willing to buy them at plus 5% price."

Bagman nodded a couple of times to himself, thinking. "And if I don't accept?"

"Then you'll have to pay all your debts in one go, including a very foolish one you made before Miss Evangelinne DuLyon's Father suffered his unfortunate accident."

Bagman shook. "How did..?"

"It matters not. What matters is that you would be left destitute, your precious reputation in tatters, your House humiliated, and you would probably have to spend a couple of years in Azkaban."

Sharpedge opened a different folder, and pushed it towards Bagman. Along with an ink pot and a hypogriff feather. "Read it carefully, sign on the dotted line, will some magic in the last page, in the square at the lower right."

The goblin had no doubt the human fool would end up signing. The beads of sweat that formed on his forehead at the mention of Lord DuLyon were quite telling.

Working for Lord Black and his godson and heir was resulting as much fun as Brokentooth had said it would!

He struggled to keep hidden the big grin that threatened to surface on his mouth. He had to be the consummate professional banker.

But it was oh, so fun, to watch the wizard squirm!

* * *

**_Sometimes, Misery Doesn't Love Company_ **

* * *

Shinji Ikari sat alone in his compartment in the train. _'Strange,'_ he thought _, 'this train looks just like the ones at Tokyo-3, but those only had single seats, not private compartments...'_

' _I guess the long distance trains shared some bits of design with the intracity ones_.'He shrugged, _'Doesn't really matter anyway...'_ He put his chin on his palm, and looked out the window. Outside, the world was an unending, practically featureless white expanse; but somehow, he still had the feeling the train zoomed over the rails.

Apathetically, Shinji kept looking at the nothing outside. His thoughts kept running on their usual route. Dwelling on all the things that had led him to be an utter failure, to the death of his… of the people who somehow had the misfortune of being close to him in one way or another. On all the things he could have done. The things he _should_ have done.

The only sounds were the clacking of the metal wheels on the tracks and his own breathing. It was a soothing combination. Almost hypnotic… Soon, the world consisted only of whiteness, click-clacking, and the soft hiss of his breath.

Had he thought about it, he would have been surprised to notice his body relaxing, his eyelids closing, and his head falling back on the cushioned headrest.

For the first time in a very long time, Shinji Ikari fell asleep.

And for the first time in an even longer time, there were no nightmares to haunt his dreams.

* * *

He awoke with a start. Only to find he wasn't alone in the compartment anymore.

The seat in front of him was occupied be a small child. A girl about eight to ten years old, who seemed somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recognize her. She had fallen asleep too, and was mumbling something in her sleep.

Shinji stood up, and opened the overhead compartment, looking for a pillow or a blanket. He found both, and used them to make sure the girl was comfortable.

He sat down again, and looked at the girl. His left hand closing and opening with mechanical regularity. With an effort of will, he stopped the tic; and studied his companion for a moment, trying to remember why she looked so maddeningly familiar. The girl wore a striped, sleeveless shirt, red shorts, and black shoes with white socks. Her dark brown hair was tied up in a single pigtail, which stood up almost vertically. A small collection of freckles, barely visible, covered her cheeks and nose. She wriggled, making herself comfortable in her pillow.

Shinji made sure she was well covered by the blanket, and went to look for another compartment. He had no desire for companionship anymore. He didn't deserve to be around people. Not after he unleashed Third Impact on his world.

He didn't have to look far, the next compartment was empty; though there was a small purse on the forward seat. It was quite simple, made of tan leather. A little charm or toy hung from the strap. Shinji didn't pay any attention to the cute cat that eternally chased a ball of yarn. A severe looking pair of eyeglasses rested next to the purse.

Shinji closed the door, and tried the next compartment. There was no sign of any occupants, so he took the seat and resumed his watching at the white expanse of nothing outside.

The boy didn't know how long until the train arrived to its destination, but he didn't care.

* * *

**_C.S.I. Hogwarts  
(Cutting Snake In Hogwarts)_ **

* * *

Parenthesis indicate a language other than English, in this case Gobbledegook.

* * *

"(Uh, boss..? My father told me you could teach me to know how fights happen, so I know if the customers are… embellishing the facts?)" A junior member asked, to the slight annoyance of the team boss.

The elder goblin sighed, the youngling was on his first or second rendering. He was capable enough, true, but still needed to learn some things about proper renderer behaviour.

"(Come here,)" He signalled, beckoning him closer, next to the head of the beast. "(Shine your light inside the mouth. Can you see the roof? About the centre line, well far from the venom glands.)"

"(Yes, Sir.)" The youngling contorted uncomfortably to light the indicated place.

The boss lit a cigar. Once all the venom and teeth had been removed, there was no risk to poison himself or his crew with vapours. "(Stick your hand there. Feel around, the soft tissue closed on itself as the beast died. Push around.)"

The youngling obeyed, it took him close to half a minute, but seeing his boss' frown he kept on. "(Uh? ...What's this? It feels like...)"

"Like a hole? It is. Punched through with a goblin-made sword, no less. The one wizards know as Gryffindor's Sword. Now come around.)" He tapped the top of the head. "(Look here.)" He pointed at a place above and almost between the eyes.

"(It's that..?)"

"(The corresponding hole. Yes.)" The boss nodded. "(Now, tell me what happened.)"

He tapped the point of a claw against the buckle of his helmet. "(Potter...)"

A throaty growl from his boss stopped him, he felt the weight of the glare of his elder. "( _Lord_. Potter. He may be a kid starting his third year at Hogwarts, but after slaying this mountain of fangs and venom, AND proposing a very good percentage for Gringotts; and therefore, for us and the other rendering team, he will be referred to with _ALL due respect_. Are we clear, Rendering Apprentice Swiftclaw?)" He punctuated his words with occasional jabs of his right index on the chest of the young goblin.

After a dry gulp, the young goblin continued. "(Y-yes, Sir! Rendering Vice-Boss Ripskin! Sir!)" he paused to gather his wits, and continued. "(I meant to say Lord Potter must have jumped down on the basilisk's head, piercing the top of the skull with the sword. The sword is long enough to go completely through the skull, piercing the brain and killing the creature.)" He looked expectantly at his boss.

"(Are you sure of that?)" he took the cigar out of his mouth, and examined it critically before putting it back, chewing on the end before taking a lungful of smoke. "(Look again. This time look carefully at the bones.)"

The goblin obeyed, once again checking the wound inside the mouth first; he took his time, feeling the edges of the cut, “(...can't be...)" he hissed. Then, he practically ran to confirm his suspicions, and as he felt the shape of the cranial bone fragments, he caught the smug grin on his boss' mouth.

He considered the fragments of bone left by both wounds, trying to find any other explanation to them, he couldn't find it. "(These were broken from the inside! The mouth fragments were broken inwards! For that to happen, Lord Potter would have... would have...)"

The boss took a long drag from his cigar, and blew the smoke with a smug grin. "(He would have to stick his hand inside the mouth of a living basilisk bigger than anything I could have hoped to see in my life, much less, yours; to stab the beast from the inside of the mouth. Yes. Lord Potter stuck his hand in a basilisk's mouth and lived to tell the tale. Obviously, he somehow managed to avoid being cut or pierced by the teeth, or he would be long dead. So, boy, respect his warrior spirit; if he keeps on this path, he could be named Friend of Goblins just for his courage. At a minimum, I have pledged my services and my team's to any other rendering he ask of Gringotts. I'm sure your grandfather must have the contract text ready for any future clients.)"

Patting the head of the monster, he grabbed his tools and popped his neck vertebrae. "Time to get back to work, boy. We still have a lot of flesh to harvest. So, you better go back to the tail and get to work, be careful as you scrape the bones. Brokentooth wants the skeleton polished and mounted as a trophy for Lord Potter."

Swiftclaw obeyed, walking back to the other end of the gigantic snake, already half skinned. The tail contained the best cuts of flesh, and selling the meat would put a very large amount of Galleons in Lord Potter's vault, and in Gringotts; and in his, even though it was a relatively small part percentage of the profit generated.

Ripskin scratched his head under the heavy helmet, _'(Now, If only I knew exactly how did Lord Potter manage to rip the snake's eyes with what seem to have been flaming claws… I have never heard of such a spell or magical object…)'_ hethought.


	10. Chapter 10

**_Acquaintances in a Train/Fancy Meeting You Here/_ ** **_I Have a Plan. It's a Cunning One_ **

* * *

**_Acquaintances in a Train_ **

* * *

"Very well, I'm here, where's Potter? I want to talk to him."

"Hey! Who told a slimy snake like that you could just come into our compartment?"

Harry facepalmed at the inevitable explosion of Mount Ronubius. He had waited for far too long to tell his friends about his plans, and stopping to talk to the Lovegoods had made him lose a few precious minutes. To his relief, he could see over Greengrass' shoulder that they had chosen the compartment where Professor Lupin was already sleeping.

He cleared his throat to announce his presence. Daphne Greengrass turned around, surprised. "Potter!"

"My apologies, Miss Greengrass. I had thought I would have time to explain the situation to my friends, but I... um.. sorry, I boarded the train a bit later than I expected." He turned to his friends. "Ron, Hermione, allow me to introduce Miss Daphne Greengrass."

Hermione waved a little. "We know each other, sometimes we are at the library at the same time. Hello, Greengrass."

The blonde girl nodded, a bit calmer, "Good day, Granger."

Ron was fuming still. "What do you want, Greengrass?"

It was Harry who answered, "I invited her, I am planning on forming a multi-house study group." Ron rolled his eyes, while Hermione's brightened.

"Miss Greengrass is the only Slytherin I considered, she has been consistently in the top three spots in several subjects, and I think it would be good for all of us to study together. I asked members of all houses if they would be open to a multi-house study group. The others should arrive shortly. Now, I am just asking everybody to be civil to everybody else, okay?" He held up his hands conciliatorily.

Ron got up, grabbed Scabbers out from Crookshanks's paws, and stomped out. "We are just coming back to school and you want to study with slimy snakes? You are mental, mate. I'll go look for Fred and George." He almost pushed Daphne out of his way.

Harry let him pass, shaking his head sadly. He composed himself. "My apologies, Miss Greengrass, I hope you'll still be willing to hear me out."

"No wonder Malfoy is always needling him. His temper is awfully short." Daphne allowed Harry to guide her to a seat, next to Hermione. Remus Lupin snored softly. Harry suspected he must have been exhausted. His furry little problem, no doubt.

Daphne tilted her head towards Lupin, "Who is our companion? I thought only students made the trip to Hogwarts by train."

It was Hermione who answered, "Professor Remus Lupin." Daphne arched an eyebrow, "You know him already, even by reputation?"

"No, I..."

Daphne raised a hand, "Let me guess, you follow Mr. Holmes deductive reasoning, right?"

Hermione grinned and nodded. "Then..." Daphne looked over Lupin, while Harry watched with great interest and curiosity, "Ah, I see, his name is clearly marked on his luggage. Very good. Then, he must be our new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor."

Harry answered, "Must be, Lockhart... well, he won't be coming back." He shrugged, changed subject immediately, "The others should arrive shortly, in the meanwhile, would you tell me how did it go with the book?"

Hermione perked up immediately, Harry knew exactly how to manage the _Monstruous Book of Monsters_ , and had already told her. It had been a strange reading, but the book was very interesting.

Daphne tilted her head and arched an eyebrow. "Your information was... precise. I've had no problem with the book, at all. Not really. It even purrs!"

"Yours too?" Hermione asked with enthusiasm.

A soft knock at the door preceded the arrival of the Patil twins, Padma, a Ravenclaw, and Parvati, a Gryffindor, followed by Neville Longbottom a couple of seconds later.

Once everybody had exchanged formal greetings, to some amusement from Daphne, as the other Gryffindors were extremely polite to her, they took their seats. An expansion charm activated by itself, allowing everybody to seat comfortably.

Susan Bones, from Hufflepuff, was the last to arrive. Harry sat next to her, practically at the compartment's door. He shuddered for a moment, knowing what would happen a few hours later. But he wouldn't allow anybody else to suffer a Dementor's attack.

He hid his dread well.

"Okay, now that we are all present; except for Ron, who decided not to stay; I want to explain why I asked you all to come."

Padma raised a hand, "You mentioned a study group. I was a bit surprised when Parvati invited me. I thought it would be a Gryffindor only group." The others nodded.

Harry nodded. "A fair assumption, but no. I wrote to you because I think it is time for us to listen to the Sorting Hat's advice. Every year, it says we should work together, but we mostly keep to our houses; except for friends we already know, or family." The Patil twins nodded. He turned towards Daphne. "The gap between Gryffindor and Slytherin is both wide and traditional. But it really doesn't have to be. The Founders were friends, for Merlin's sake!"

"So. You are not worried that most Dark Wizards come from Slytherin, Potter?"

"Why is that, Daphne? Do we really know the reason for that? There have been Dark Wizards from all houses, you know, even Gryffindor is not exempt of that. Slytherin has the largest number, true, and Hufflepuff the least; but every one of us has the potential to be a Dark Wizard or Witch." He paused, "I'm not so conceited to believe I couldn't fall into that role, you know."

Everybody gasped. "Not you, Harry, you are the..." Susan said, before Harry put a hand up, stopping her.

"The Boy-Who-Lived? I really hate that title." He shook his head. "I am not a hero, not really. Morgana's staff! I was a baby when V..." He remembered what Shinji had told him about the true reason Wizarding Britain feared to use Riddle's assumed, false name. The Taboo. Dumbledore's advice for him to use the name only served to put Harry apart from everybody else! Practically setting him as a fearless hero! Or a deluded disrespectful fool, depending on each person's opinion of Voldemort. Therefore, he had decided to not enter that particular quicksand pit, and follow the custom of not naming Voldemort directly. At least, not in the presence of others.

He continued, "...when the Dark Lord tried to kill me along with my parents. I really doubt I could have done anything to him, except maybe throwing a stuffed toy at him. No, I'm sure it was something my parents did." He shook his head sadly.

Hermione squeezed Harry's hand in mute support. He looked at her big brown eyes, and smiled. Nodding again, he changed subject. "I'd like for us to meet, at least once a week, and study together, all of us are very good in at least one subject. We can help each other to improve our grades."

"No offense, Longbottom, but your performance is really lacking in everything." Surprisingly, the comment came from Padma.

"He is a prodigy in Herbology, though." Harry added. "Now, Neville is very good at theory, so that is his forte, Hermione's and Daphne are very good at theory too. I don't do as well in that, I'm mostly practical. So, while we can all help Neville to get better at other subjects, he could tutor us all in Herbology. I do best at DADA and getting my spells to work, I can help here. Daphne and Hermione are the best at most subjects, and both work very hard."

"What about Susan and me, Potter?" Asked Padma, "Neither of us is particularly brilliant at a particular subject."

"You're underestimating yourselves. You both have the best work ethic, and are great organizers. And you, Parvati, are a good student, but I'd like your help with making connections. Not everything we learn at Hogwarts is academical. We are supposed to network and establish connections with other students and their families. Due to some things I really don't want to discuss, _with anybody_ , I am woefully behind in that area! You and Lavender are the best connected students in all seven years at Hogwarts."

Parvati smiled. It was nice to be acknowledged. "I'll have to discuss this with Lavender, can she come too?"

"As long as both of you can be discreet about what happens in the group, sure."

"Yeah, about that, what's the matter with you and Loony Lovegood?"

Harry's smile disappeared in a split-second. "Don't call her that, please. She has been nice to me."

"Ooohhh... she's your friend then, or something more?" Parvati leaned towards Harry.

"So far I have only spoken with her once, right before boarding." Harry answered, feeling like he had somehow wandered into a minefield.

"But you like her, don't you?"

"Well, yes. She's nice." Had Harry had an inkling of exactly what Parvati was implying, he would have blushed a bright red. But he was so occupied trying to decipher exactly why Parvati was so interested in this, that he missed the fleeting look of sadness in Hermione's eyes.

* * *

**_Fancy Meeting You Here_ **

* * *

Shinji woke up with a start. Tiredly, he asked himself if there could be a valid reason for dead people to still fall asleep.

And get hungry, too... if the noise his stomach was busy broadcasting to the world was any indication. He got up, opened the door, and found himself face to... right in front of the last person he expected to meet in the train to the Afterlife.

Major Misato Katsuragi.

Looking just like she had that last day; that last, horrible day. Except... her eyes weren't red and puffed, her purple hair shone, and she looked almost... at peace. Her NERV uniform clean and neatly pressed, just the way he used to prepare it for her, back when living at Tokyo-3 was not a torture.

Her right hand was up, as if she was about to knock at the door.

Startled by the unexpected encounter, Shinji tried to go back into the compartment, "Mi-Misato!" He said, and stumbled over his own two feet, and fell backwards.

"Shinji! What happened?" She knelt down to check on him, but Shinji scrambled back until his back collided with the compartment wall. "Are you okay?" Quickly, she knelt beside him, checking if he had injured himself. Once satisfied to see he was fine, she asked, "How did we end up in a train?"

Shinji's eyes almost fell down from their sockets. "Y-you..." He couldn't say more while the only motherly figure in his life helped him to the seat. After all that had happened, after all this time... and...

...her first reaction was to care for him.

Misato sat down in the plush seat, opposite him, and looked around. "Nice compartment, Shinji, must cost a fortune." She leaned back, looking at the ceiling for a moment, she leaned her head back, and closed her eyes for a moment, "You know, I just awoke from the weirdest dream..." there was a curious smile on her lips; for a moment, her eyes unfocused.

"I was back in college..." suddenly, she stopped, and blushed scarlet. Shinji's face went red a moment later. She didn't know he knew exactly why she had blushed. And he would never tell her. Not willingly.

He turned his face around, trying desperately to look anywhere but at Misato. The former pilot gibbered for a few seconds, until he covered his mouth with both hands.

"What happened, Shinji? Last thing I remember was getting you into the lift. That did happen, right?" her face and voice showed her concern with crystal clarity, Misato was a very guarded individual most of the time, but with Shinji, she felt free to show more of her actual emotions.

Not daring to speak yet, Shinji nodded frantically.

"Did you get to the EVA?"

Squeezing his eyes shut, Shinji nodded.

Misato nodded satisfied, "Good, those bastards didn´t get you." She kept silent for a moment, and continued, "Then, what happened? How long was I in the hospital? Because I thought I was a goner. And what are we doing here? Where are we going?"

Finally, Shinji recovered control of his mind, "You died, Misato. Everybody died."

"But I feel fine!" She protested, "I don't feel any dead!" She patted herself for emphasis. Everything was right where it should. "You don´t look and deader than me!"

"No, you died. Even had I gotten you to a doctor, y-you... had..."

"Too many bullets in me..?" She asked softly, taking his hand in hers. He nodded back, holding back the tears.

Suddenly, he jumped, surprising and engulfing her in a desperate hug, sobbing, crying and mumbling anguished words she couldn't understand.

Misato did the only thing she could think of.

She hugged him back.

Neither could say later how long they had held on to each other.

* * *

**_I Have a Plan. It's a Cunning One_ **

* * *

"Really, Potter? Publicly affiliating with you would be the end of my status! I admit the idea of a multiple Houses study group is appealing, but do you actually expect me to risk my standing in Slytherin by joining your study group?"

"No, Miss Greengrass, I expect you to shoot the idea down, very publicly and very harshly." Harry answered, with complete calm. Hermione looked at him, furrowing her brow, while the others gasped.

"What? Then why did you even bother to.. invite.. me..?" Daphne's words trailed off. She closed her mouth, looking at a smiling Harry. "Oh, I see." She smiled back at him.

"Wait, what?" Parvati asked.

Daphne straightened up. "Your fellow Gryffindor has a very interesting mind. He could have been a Slytherin had he had more ideas like this one." Harry abstained on commenting exactly which had been the first option the Sorting Hat had offered him. He reserved that shot for a better time.

Padma slapped her tigh, laughing openly. "I see! Harry wants Greengrass to blast the study group in public, so she can join privately without risking her position in Slytherin House."

"Ten points to Ravenclaw, Miss Patil." Harry smiled, and turned towards Daphne. "What do you say, Miss Greengrass? Would you like to score some points for yourself in the House of Snakes by slamming down the Boy-Who-Lived?"

Daphne looked around, before settling on looking back at Harry. "When and where? And keep in mind I can be really sharp-tongued when I want. I will go at you with everything I have."

"The sharper the better. I say the perfect chance will present itself quite soon. Our mutual _friend_ , Mr. Draco Malfoy, likes to come unannounced to whichever compartment I share with my friends, and do a big production about how I am a disgrace to the Wizarding World, how I am so much lower in the social pecking order, assorted threats and insinuations, and so on. Actually... he's kinda late this time." Mockingly, Harry mimed looking at his inexistent watch.

"Sarcasm and irony from the Golden Prince of Griffyndor. I like that, but tell me, why are you looking at your wrist, Potter?"

"Oh, sorry, muggle thing. I was pretending to look at my wristwatch, I guess I should have pretended to look at my pocket watch." He shrugged. "Now, this is what I thought you could say, but I'm open to suggestions."

Daphne leaned closer, as Harry explained his plan, a smile lit her face, while Hermione bit her lower lip.

* * *

They kept talking for a few minutes more, refining the plan while Malfoy and his two neanderthalian bookends arrived.

Remus Lupin stirred for a moment, all the students kept silent, fearing they had awoken their new teacher. But Lupin simply turned his head, with the mouth slightly open, and kept on snoring softly, to everybody's relief.

Once the man settled down again, the students resumed their talk, at a more discrete volume, until they had a working plan.

Afterwards, the talk drifted into more general territory. Namely, Hogsmeade.

* * *

"Nope, sorry. I won't be going this year. I have no desire to paint an even bigger target on my back."

Padma nodded. "It will be boring to stay at Hogwarts, Harry, but at least you will be safe in case Sirius Black manages to get close to the school."

It irked Harry to be unable to defend his godfather's name, but he kept his mouth closed.

Hermione agreed immediately with Padma. "And the Headmaster can protect you better in the castle."

 _'Oh, yeah. Her adoration of authority figures...'_ Harry thought _. 'I'll have to help her to break that particular habit. Especially regarding Dumbledore. I'll have to think of something..."_ He shrugged, "Actually, I'm planning on using the time to do some self-study. I don't want to fail Potions, even with Snape breathing down my neck. Just bring me some chocolate from Honeydukes. I saved some money during the summer." And he had also kept some chocolate bought by Dobby, safely hidden in his jacket pockets. He was glad it was magical chocolate, otherwise, his body heat would have melted it in his pockets, making a big mess.

"Professor Snape, Harry." Hermione corrected.

"Sorry, Hermione, but although he is a Potion Master, he is no teacher. He should be anywhere else but close to children. The man has absolutely no vocation for teaching." He turned towards Daphne. "Sorry if I offend you, Miss. Greengrass, I know he is your Head of House, but his behaviour is terribly unprofessional." Neville seemed to have swallowed a lemon at the mention of the greasy bat of the Dungeons. It was no secret that he dreaded every Potions class.

Daphne waved a hand in the air. "None taken, Potter." She didn't confirm nor deny Harry's opinion.

Neville breathed deeply, it looked like he had reached a decision. "M-maybe I'll stay too. Could I join you and review the p-potions we have done?"

"Sure, Neville, I'd really appreciate some help with Herbology." Neville nodded, relieved. Harry had an inkling of a plan to boost Neville's confidence, and it involved making him try to cast a spell with a different wand. His father's wand was completely wrong for Neville.

Parvati took the talk back into danger territory. "So, what about Black? Are you scared?"

Harry took a moment to think, he fidgeted a bit with the sleeve of his oversized shirt. "I'd be a fool if I wasn't scared. The man's reputation is awful, and just being able to escape from Azkaban shows that he is cunning and resourceful. And nobody knows how he did it, to top that!" Harry shook his head, while thinking, _'Well, nobody knows apart from Sirius himself, Shinji, and me. But neither of us will reveal that_.' He continued, "I'd like to know why he turned against my parents..." Harry decided this was a good moment to plant a little seed, one that would not only help him and Sirius, but also hinder the freedom of action for Fudge, Crouch, and with a little luck, Dumbledore. "But I have no idea if I could read the transcripts of the trial. I don't know who to ask, and how."

Susan Bones chirped, happy to help. "I'll ask my aunt, she's the DMLE head. Maybe she could tell us..." she shook her head quickly, "I mean, she could tell you who to ask, and what you have to do."

"Great, Miss Bones! I'd really appreciate your help." Harry smiled at her. "Could you help me write her a letter?"

"Wait, wait, wait." Daphne interrupted him, waving her hands. "You don't know how to write an introductory letter? I find that hard to believe, Potter. You are the Heir of one of the oldest and most important Houses in England!"

"As I said, my education in that area is terribly lacking."

"Your Magical Guardian should have taught you that! Among many other things!"

"I have not even been told who my Magical Guardian is!" Harry protested, fully knowing that this particular tidbit of _Juicy Information_ would make the rounds in the rumor mill. And it would eventually reach the ears of the parents of the students.

Daphne breathed in and out a couple of times. "That kind of negligence is beyond the pale, Potter. Completely unacceptable. I guess you weren't instructed in basic etiquette either."

"Not even a bit." Harry lowered his eyes to one side.

Daphne looked at Hermione. "What about you, Granger? I have seen you commit one faux-pas after another. Are you being deliberately insulting?"

Hermione gasped, "No! Why would I do that?"

Greengrass looked around, a each one of the other students, finding silent agreement. "Unacceptable. Very well." She exhaled. "I think you two have to get a fast course on basic etiquette, Ladies? Longbottom? Are we in agreement?"

All the other students nodded quickly. It was Neville who spoke, "We can teach you two. It is very boring, but it is important that you know how to behave in society."

"Um... are you sure?" Harry pretended to resist a little.

"We are, let's say it is our little project for this year." Daphne leaned towards Harry. "But..." she examined her perfectly manicured hand, "this won't be for free. I want something."

"Uh..." Harry dreaded to ask. "What do you want?"

Hermione tightened her lips.

"Well... I'd like for you to satisfy my..." she looked around again, "...curiosity."

Harry loosened his collar with a finger. "A-a-about what?" An old, barely known instinct warned Harry of something. _'Oh, Merlin! What do I do now?'_

"I've heard the muggles have some interesting...music." She concluded. "Can you get me some?"

Hermione sighed in relief, the same instinct tried to call Harry's attention to that, but he had no idea of what that meant. Hermione came to his rescue. "Greengrass, I think I could get you some records, anything you'd like?"

Daphne leaned back on her seat, tapped her chin a couple of times, "I don't know, but as long as it doesn't sound anything like Celestina Warbeck, I'd like to listen."

Before another word could be said, there was a sound at the door, it sounded as if somebody was trying to slide it open, and finding some resistance.

' _Saved by the bell!_ ' Harry thought, "That must be Malfoy." He looked at Daphne, "Ready?"

She smoothed her robes, checked her hair quickly, and nodded. "Go ahead." She whispered.

Harry removed the charm that kept the door locked, and it slid open suddenly, almost knocking down Draco Malfoy in the process, who barely kept his balance and yelped undignifiedly.


	11. Chapter 11

**_Leave the Questions for Later._ ** **_Get Some Answers Now./Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It/_ **

**_Double Speak for Fun and Profit/The Shape of Things to Come_ **

* * *

**_Leave the Questions for Later._ ** **_Get Some Answers Now._ **

* * *

"THOSE DAMNED TO HELL, MEDDLING IDIOTIC SENILE OLD FOSSILS SCRAPPED FROM THE BOTTOM OF A ROTTEN SEPTIC TANK! IF I MANAGE TO GET MY HANDS ON THEIR STUPID WRINKLED SCRAWNY NECKS, I WILL..! I WILL...! GRAAAARGH!"

To say Major Misato Katsuragi, former Chief of Operations of NERV Japan (currently deceased) had reacted badly at the revelations her (also deceased) charge had revealed to her would have been like saying the Sun going nova and engulfing the world in superheated plasma was a somewhat inconvenient event.

Katsuragi was absolutely, apocalyptically even, furious. Eventually descending into Angrish. A language she was fluent, but usually didn't have reasons to practice.

She would have run out the compartment, blindly looking for the old men who had manipulated and ruined uncountable lives (including her and her wards'; hell below! _especially_ theirs!), if not for an image that was like a cascade of cold water over her head.

Shinji Ikari, her ward, her friend, her best pilot. Kami above, the kid was FAMILY, not by blood, or even by law; he was practically the only human being before whom she dared to let the mask slip. Even a little.

Shinji cowering on the floor of the compartment, his arms wrapped around his head, like he had already assumed crash position in a doomed airplane.

This sight stopped her rant cold. She lowered her hands, breathed deeply several times to calm herself. Once she had her emotions under control, she knelt next to her companion. "I..." she sat down, next to him, and passed her fingers through her purple mane. "I am sorry, Shinji. Please forgive me, I am not angry at you. But at those bastards who screwed all our lives."

The former pilot opened his eyes, and, slowly, lowered his own arms.

Misato continued, her voice thick with emotion, looking deeply into his eyes and holding his hands in hers. "I failed you. You and Asuka. And Rei... I was so wrapped up in my own problems I didn't realize how you were falling to pieces right in front of me... the old men played us all, and I was so blind I didn't realize it."

She sighed, her anger spent for the moment. "I should have been there for you. Had I known then just how fff... how bad things were going to be, I would have put you all in the car and driven out of Tokyo-3 and never looked back."

"B-b-But your job?"

"To hell with the job! About the only good thing I got out of NERV was meeting you kids."

"And Mr. K-Kaji?"

Misato's eyes opened wide at the question. What about him? He had used her, she had used him. In the end, they were both using the other to try and patch their own wounds. And yet, that didn't mean they were not fond of each other, nor that it hadn't hurt when...

She exhaled, hugging herself for a moment. "I... I think we were bad choices for each other. Though there were some good moments." Shinji blushed at hearing that. "We wouldn't have worked out in the end." She felt a tear roll down her cheek. Kaji's disappearance and almost sure death had shattered her to the core. "Let's not talk about him for a while, okay?" She sniffed, and Shinji put his handkerchief in her hands.

"I am sorry too, Misato." He seemed so small and fragile at that moment. "I... I should have done something back then, when you... heard..." he lowered his eyes to the floor.

"His last message? There was nothing you could have done. I'm sure he was dead by then. There was nothing to do."

"I don't mean that." He mumbled miserably, still averting his eyes. "I heard you cry yourself to sleep, and I just... I was a coward... I should have said something." He shrunk onto himself even more, his voice was a pale shadow of his normal voice, soft as it was.

She raised her head at that admission, scooted closer to him and passed an arm over his shoulders, pulling him closer. "You had your own problems then. What your Father, " She interrupted herself when she felt Shinji's body tense, "What the Commander did to Toji, what happened to Rei and Asuka... and then, Kaworu..."

Shinji folded onto himself at the mention of his two colleagues and the last true Angel, the one who had dealt him the worst possible blow in the worst possible way.

Without a word, Misato hugged him, she knew there were many things she didn't know, and would have to ask Shinji some very uncomfortable questions. But that would be later.

Right know, he needed her help. And she swore by all the Kami she wouldn't fail him again.

* * *

In another compartment, a strange girl awoke. Her skin was so pale she almost looked like an albino, but her hair was naturally blue instead of white. Two crimson eyes opened, looking at the ceiling above her.

"Unknown place. Tactical evaluation..." without moving her head, she looked around as much as she could. "Closed room. Two long seats, probable compartments above head height. Similar in disposition to personnel transport compartments for long trips.

She listened to the noises around. "Repetitive sounds from below current position indicate travel on rails. This compartment belongs to a train. How did I arrive to this transport?"

The girl sat up. The cushioned seat was very comfortable. "Am I a prisoner?" She looked down, to find herself dressed in her usual school uniform. "Clothes provided seem to indicate no such situation."

She remembered the last events; they were somewhat blurry in her memory. But some things were clear. She had catalysed Third Impact, delivering control of the event to the Third Child.

No. To Shinji Ikari.

Her last clear memory showed him deciding on giving humans the choice to stay or exit Instrumentality.

Somehow, that included her.

However, she remained the linchpin of Instrumentality, she would maintain the Gestalt until the last mind decided to exit.

"Confusing. I need clarification. I need to speak with Ikari."

Suddenly, she stopped. "I have realized my purpose. I have no reason to exist anymore."

For the first time in her life, Rei Ayanami knew fear.

"Why do I _still_ exist?"

* * *

**_Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It_ **

* * *

Ripskin waited until Lord Potter's excitable house-elf had gone to the next room to rest before talking. "(Cousin, here are the projected amounts of basilisk products we calculate to harvest.)" he extracted a sheet of parchment from a water-proof pocket in his vest, and put it on Brokentooth's desk.

Brokentooth examined the sheet. His eyes opened wider than ever. "(Is this correct? We will have to employ a lot of space in the stasis chambers. And be careful on the amounts we release into the market, or the prices will drop.)"

Ripskin leaned back on his chair, a lit cigar moved from one side of his mouth to the other. "(It is, so far. We have been very busy. We will need even more crates than we thought.)"

"(I'll have them bought and ready by tomorrow morning. How much poison?)"

"(Two full barrels and a small casket, the glands were not full. I suggest you present Lord Potter with the casket, as a gift. I'm sure he will appreciate it.)"

"(I like the idea, Ripskin. I have an artisan casket I've been saving for a very important client, I'll commission my brother-in-law to decorate it with the Potter shield or arms.)"

"(Good. Goldclaw does very good work. Be sure to swear him to secrecy. I don't think Lord Potter would appreciate any indiscretion on our part. Having taken so much trouble to hide the rendering of the beast itself from the rest of Wizarding Britain...)" Ripskin shook the ash from his cigar in an elaborate ash-tray, shaped as an old train lantern. The ash vanished before touching the bottom of the tray.

"(True. So, when will the job be done?)"

"(Give us a week. I want to be sure the skeleton is correctly packed, and each bone is marked and numbered. After that, it can be transported here to be polished, engraved, and mounted. You'll have to ask Lord Potter for his permission to have it sent anywhere he likes. Maybe allow one or two of our trophy makers to visit the place and take notes to pose it for display.)"

"(Take your time, this is a job we all want done to the best of Gringotts capabilities.)" Brokentooth shuffled a few documents. "(When you're done, take three days to rest and then I'll need your help to assemble a new team.)"

Ripskin grinned, "(What kind of impossibly deadly and gigantic beast has Lord Potter managed to kill this time?)"

"(None, as far as I know. He asked me for a locate and capture team after we agreed on the terms for the rendering.)"

"(Locate and capture? A particularly deadly creature, no doubt.)"

"(Probably dangerous, yes.)"

Ripskin arched an eyebrow, "(Really? What kind of creature are we talking about, dragon? Manticore? Chimera? King Cobra?)"He learned his throat noisily, "(Hmm ... Cousin Filius told me that Lord Potter is a Parselmouth, is that true? Maybe he wants some conversation?)"

"(No idea if that is true or not, we did not discuss it.)" Brokentooth shrugged. "(However, he described a particular snake. Big, smart, poisonous, magical in nature. He doesn't know if it is also dark in nature or not, but he warned me it might be the case. If not, it must be captured alive, preferably unharmed; if it is dark, it must be captured or killed. But Lord Potter asks for the team to be sensible, if any of you is in deadly danger, he won't object to you and your team defending yourselves. And Lord Potter is willing to buy any and all magical snakes you find, he said he wouldn't want to waste your efforts. Once you have found the snake he wants, you and your team are to come back, cash your pay, and deliver the snakes at a secret place.)"

"(I'm liking this wizard more and more. Most wizards care more for their trophies' skin than for ours.)" Ripskin's face twisted in a bitter gesture. "(Dragon fire and brimstone, Cousin! Just for his manners I would be willing to give him a small discount. And his respectful treatment of us means we will actually stop looking once we find the snake he wants!)"

"(Yes. He's a good breed. Other wizards would whine about the danger bonus they have to pay, as if they did risk their overgrown asses themselves.)"

They kept silent for a few seconds. Ripskin shook more ash in the tray, before speaking again. "(Then, what species of snake does he want?)"

Brokentooth leaned towards Ripskin. "(Not a species, an individual snake. He calls it, 'Nagini'.)"

* * *

**_Double Speak for Fun and Profit_ **

* * *

"Say, what's on your mind, little brother?" Fred, or maybe George, said, passing an arm over Ron's shoulders. "Normally you stay well away from me and my less than handsome twin. And you have been in our compartment almost since the train left King’s Cross, sulking."

Ron shrugged the arm away, while holding Scabbers in his other hand. The rat wriggled in his grasp, looking at the door of the compartment. "It's Harry. He's... he's _fraterunizining_ with badgers, and eagles; I guess that could be okay, but he also invited a _stupid_ _snake_!" He shook his head angrily. "And he wants to study with them! We haven't even gotten our timetables yet and he's wanting to study already!"

George, or maybe Fred, leaned back on his seat, he laced his fingers together, tapping on his lips with the index fingers. "Really? Now, that's more like Hermione's thing, isn't it?" He crossed a worried look with his twin. "You don't think he will..?"

His twin waved a hand, dismissing the very idea. "Nah, my less talented brother. I doubt Harry would forsake Quidditch for study. My guess is that whatever happened last year must have lit a fire under his bum. Remind me later we have to get him something nice, for Ginny."

"But if he does the study group, he won't have time to play chess, or exploding snap..." Ron whined.

"And there it is!" One of the twins exclaimed. "You know we can play with you, little brother. If, and only if, you can find us and pay the toll."

Ron shook his head. "I don't wanna be your magical Guinea pig." He shuddered.

"Aw, c'mon! Be a sport! We will reverse the effects of anything we test on you, you know that."

"Yeah, sure, three hours later and after parading me in front of all the school." Ron scoffed. "No, thanks, I'll pass on that. Not even if you paid me." He crossed his arms, defiantly. Scabbers hid himself in Ron's chest pocket; a moment later, his head poked out, looking around.

Both twins shrugged, one of them, maybe Fred, said, "So, in short, ikle Harrykins has decided to be a complete bore this year."

Once again, the twins looked at each other, discussing matters in the way only they could. A few facial gestures later, they had reached a decision.

"Well... my not so witty brother, I believe we should see for ourselves just exactly who is ickle Harrykins ' _fraterunizining_ ' with, as our little brother has so eloquently put."

"Indeed we must, indeed we must, ugly brother o'mine" Both twins stood up, slapping their thighs at the same time. "Coming, Ronnikins?"

* * *

**_The Shape of Things to Come_ **

* * *

September the First always was a busy day at Hogwarts, a hive of frantic activity to ready the school for the arrival of the students. Elves, humans, and even a half-giant had a lot to do before the arrival of the boys and girls who would learn to do magic the prescribed way.

Usually, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts (among some other titles) supervised the proceedings with his calming, grandfatherly presence; but this time, he was in a bad mood. Fudge had, in his always bone-headed way, decided to respond to Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban with the worst idea ever heard of in Wizarding Britain.

By sending Dementors to guard Hogwarts!

As if the foul monsters would be a threat only to Black! Complete madness! Those monsters would prey on anything and anyone weak enough to be caught. He would have to set that right. To keep those monsters as far from the students as possible.

He was alone in the Great Hall, eating a late lunch, while the school staff readied everything. He had found convenient to stay there, as any question, suggestion, and/or objections could be handled easily if everybody knew where he was at every moment, and it was also a more central place than his own office.

Dumbledore was lost in his thoughts when he felt a late arrival to the table, preceded by the unmistakable aroma of cooking sherry, mixed with prodigious amounts of incense.

Professor Sybill Patricia Trelawney, looking like a mix of an stereotypical gypsy fortune teller and a wooden stick, sat heavily next to Dumbledore. "Good morning, Headmaster, I trust you are in good health today." She drawled a little bit, more or less the same as the last six years.

"Indeed I am, dear lady. Indeed I am." He smiled cordially at her, glad for the distraction from his own darkening thoughts. "It is unusual to see you around here..."

"I know, but today of all days, I have the impulse to come down from my high place, and descend into the mundane world. I do not know the reason, but I trust it will be revealed to me in due time."

She shrugged her bony shoulders, jingling her multiple earrings, necklaces, and assorted jewelry, while her eyes darted behind her glasses, magnified several times, looking for all the world like the eyes of a harmless insect. While she took the spoon set on the table, she continued. "I look forward to this years class, I hope Harry Potter may have access to the Inner Eye."

Dumbledore smiled softly. No doubt Trellawney wouldn't lose time in predicting the boy's death, as was her custom. Such words would surely make the boy fear his own mortality, until he became so jaded by the constant and shifting omens of doom, he would disregard even the direst augury.

Yes, things were shaping nicely this year. Dumbledore had no particular plans to mold the boy into his weapon. Fortunately, the news about Sirius Black's escape had arrived before he had put in motion his own plan for the year. That should be worry enough for Harry Potter. Still... having Dementors in Hogwarts grounds would simply not do. He had to find a way to convince Cornelius to withdraw them.

While he was busy thinking on how to achieve that, he pushed a few peas around the plate. Nothing came to mind. ' _Ah, well... I'm sure a solution will come to me soon.'_ He shrugged and at a gesture of his hand, his goblet refilled with pumpkin juice. He was about to drink, when he felt the air temperature drop, and noticed the unnatural silence in the Great Hall. He turned his head towards his companion.

Her stick thin body was completely still, her hand dropped the spoon it held, and her breath misted in front of her mouth. Her eyes rolled up into their sockets, and her head lolled flaccidly.

Her mouth opened, and she spoke with a voice not her own, while Dumbledore looked at her as she pronounced the second true Prophecy of her life.

_Dead Eos three lost souls has sent  
Betrayed and bloodied they fought to the end  
To save a world from monsters  
Both arcane and mundane,  
Their hearts broken over an altar of bad faith_

_More than One soul turns One at their touch  
One Soul welcomes Three, deep into its core  
In one single purpose, united the Four._

_Shy, kind berserker for Hestia's hearth longs  
Looking for a home that he can call his own  
Dyonisus' disciple, hides sorrow in mirth,  
yet singularly blessed with Athena's gift.  
Maid born thrice of no woman, broken Angel's soul  
Destroyed a world we can't ever know.  
The blind pawn in darkness becomes shining knight  
With cunning and smarts he shall lead the fight_

_Forever the world can change at their wake  
Foul anchors of evil, their allies unmake  
Old chains that bind us, by them they will break  
Forever the world shall change at their wake._

Dumbledore's blood ran cold in his veins. A Second Prophecy! Before he could begin to consider the possible effect this new knowledge would have on his plans, both short and long term, Sybil Trellawney's eyes closed, and her head fell down, unsupported by her body. Acting quickly, Dumbledore caught her unconscious body could hit the soup plate in front of her.

Once he had pushed her back against the back of the chair, he said, "Could I have a house-elf, please?"

Immediately, a young elf popped in, he bowed deeply, and said, "How can Bubby be helping Headmaster?"

"Bring Madam Pomphrey here, Professor Trellawney needs her help."

* * *

In the Department of Mysteries, down in the Hall of Prophecies, an unseen figure walked softly, had anybody been able to see the apparition, they would have described it as a tall man, dressed with heavy and unadorned dark purple robes of a cloth finer than the best acromantula silk, his face hidden in the shadow of his hood. A thick iron chain shackled his right wrist, with the other end affixed to a big, thick book he carried easily in that same hand. The book itself seemed to be very light, and at the same time, heavy with the weight of uncountable Were, Are, and Will Be. The bare feet of the man made no noise over the polished stones on the floor.

The 'man' walked without hurry nor calm. He travelled easily between the unending rows of mist-white globes, not looking around, despite the imposing atmosphere of the place.

Finally, he stopped, finding an empty space. A simple movement of his hand materialized a new crystal sphere, the face and voice of Professor Sybil Trellawney were recognizable for a moment, before the mist engulfed them.

Satisfied, the figure took a piece of thin cardboard that looked like a luggage tag from between the pages of the book. It had a short text written:

 _S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D._  
H.J.P., I.S., K.M., A.R.  
Harry Potter, Unknown, Unknown, Unknown, Wizarding Britain

A small chain appeared to connect the card to one of the three dragons that held the misty orb.

His task finished, the visitor walked away, disappearing between two steps.


	12. Chapter 12

**_True… From a Certain Point of View/_** **_Can You Get Vertigo in a Train?_ **

* * *

**_True… From a Certain Point of View._ **

* * *

Draco Malfoy almost fell down when the sliding door opened without any more resistance. He found himself face to face with an unexpected person standing inside the compartment. "Greengrass? What in Salazar Slytherin's name are you doing here?"

"I was invited to a possibly profitable meeting," she answered, a sharp edge of pure cold seeping into her voice, "but had I known about the... company... I wouldn't have bothered to come and see who was involved." She sneered imperiously at the occupants of the compartment, who dutifully lowered their eyes. "I guess the Ravenclaws could be passably acceptable company, but Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors?" She waved a hand around the compartment, "Please. And with Dumbledore's Golden Boy as a participant, nonetheless. Would such a thing be enough to pique the interest of any self-respecting Slytherin in good standing with the people who really matter? I won't be wasting my time in trivial matters with idiots who cannot recognize a good opportunity to grab the Golden Ring, thank you very much. Now step aside. I have important matters to attend to… like sorting my robes."

She turned back her head, winking at the group, knowing that neither Malfoy nor his semi-trained gorillas would see the gesture. "Don't you ever try to invite me again, Potter. You already know my answer."

She stepped around Malfoy, with an elegant sweep of her robe and her nose high in the air, and walked away, presumably, in search of her own friends.

The triumphant smile in the face of the Malfoy Heir almost seemed to split his head in two. He had come to humiliate Potter, and instead, he actually enjoyed a big show! Of course, he had to add a little more humiliation to the feast, seeing that Potter was actually trembling in outrage!

Crabbe and Goyle simply looked ahead with a hollow look in their eyes, neither was particularly fast on the uptake. Actually, they weren't even slow on the uptake; saying such would mean there was an uptake with them. No matter, their job was simple enough for them, just stay behind Draco Malfoy, look threatening, and rough up anybody Draco told them to.

"Well, well, well," Draco drawled, his hands grabbing each other at his back, his eyebrows arched, and his head cocked in amusement. "It finally dawns on you that you should have accepted my generous offer of friendship two year ago, Scarhead. You actually dared to aspire over your lowly station. Tsk, tsk... A station, I must add, you chose yourself, associating with mudbloods and bloodtrait... wait, wait, wait! Where's the Weasel?" He looked around, searching for his second place nemesis, the insufferable Ron Weasley.

Hermione answered, a sweet smile on her innocent face, "Oh, he's with his brothers. He said something about 'slimy snakes' and went to look for them. They should return any minute now."

Draco paled immediately, he had been on the receiving end of the twins' pranks more than once, and he had no intention to be here when they arrived, he managed to sneer at the group, before turning around, hitting Crabbe on his thick arm, "Back to my compartment, you two. I have what I wanted, by tomorrow morning, all Hogwarts will know of this, Potter, heed my words!"

As a little parting shot, he very deliberately, left the door open.

Harry stood up, closed it, sat back, still trembling, and barely managed to reapply the privacy charms before bursting in a long, delighted laugh.

It took him a couple of minutes to recover his composure. By then, everybody except for Professor Lupin was either laughing or snickering. Somehow, the man managed to keep on snoring despite the noise. Harry's mirth subsided, knowing that the newly minted Professor Lupin was awfully exhausted, after a terrible fight against his inner wolf. Harry tried to keep from looking at the man, he didn't manage to do so, but hoped his companions would think he was simply dreading the possibility of awakening a teacher.

A teacher in sore need of Wolfsbane potion… difficult to brew, expensive ingredients… according to Shinji, That had been one of the incentives Dumbledore had used to entice Lupin to accept the thankless, difficult, and actually, very cursed job of teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts. A nice bit of manipulation, indeed. As things were, the man was completely on Dumbledore's side.

But maybe he and Sirius had found a way to kill two birds with one stone. Maybe even three, if their plans came through.

Harry returned his attention back into the here and now, Padma had been the first to recover, still smiling. "Did you notice everything Greengrass said was perfectly calculated to be perfectly suited to Malfoy's expectations yet she was actually meaning exactly the opposite?"

Harry snickered, "Yeah! She's very smart and very sneaky! That's why I asked her. I'd rather have her on our side than against us!"

Not that he was too worried about the Greengrass Heir. She had been one of the few Slytherins who had chosen to fight against Voldemort's army during the Battle for Hogwarts (1) even if it was as an impromptu healer.

* * *

**_Can You Get Vertigo in a Train? (2)_ **

* * *

"This place is creeping me out, Shinji." Misato looked around the restaurant car. They were the only occupants, having taken a table in one of the ends of the car. Although they were alone, they could see a few objects left in tables and seats. Purses, backpacks, an umbrella for some reason.

"Yeah, it looks like everybody went away at the same time," Shinji answered, examining a book, there was a bookmark next to where he had found it, "leaving their stuff behind."

"But why?"

Shinji put the book down at its original place, "Maybe they don't need them anymore." He lowered his eyes, suddenly very interested in the wood grain of the table. "So far, I have only seen one person here, apart of you."

"Who and where, Shinji?" Misato was already scooting out the seat. "Maybe they know something."

"I'm not sure who she is. She looks a bit like Hikari. She was sleeping in the compartment where I woke up."

Misato tapped a finger on the table. "Let's see if she knows something."

* * *

When they opened the compartment door, they found two girls in there. One looked like a smaller version of Hikari, with a single pigtail, while the other had her brown hair loose, barely reaching her shoulders and was about half a head taller than the first girl.

"Hi!" they chorused. "You must be Shinji Ikari." The tallest launched herself at Shinji, giggling happily. "My brother talks about you all the time!"

Shinji almost fell down due to the unexpected glomping. Misato caught him and pushed him back into the compartment. The other girl looked at Shinji as if she was evaluating him. A few moments later, she said, with all the seriousness only a child can gather. "My sister says you should apply yourself more at school."

"Okay, before anything else, I think some introductions are in order. I am Misato Katsuragi, you two already know Shinji, but I think we haven't caught your names, little ladies."

Both girls stood and bowed formally. "I am Nozomi Horaki." Said the short one.

The other winked at Shinji, her big brown eyes shining clear. "And I am Sakura Suzuhara."

Shinji paled immediately.

Nozomi smiled at him. "We wanna thank you for your efforts, Shinji."

"B-b-but… I failed…" Shinji seemed to be about to cry. "I… I…"

Sakura continued. "If it wasn't for you, I would have died."

"But it was my f-f-fault you were in the hospital." Shinji didn't feel Misato's arms enveloping him in a hug from behind.

"Nope. Me and Toji couldn't get into the bunker on time. We were trapped because we took a wrong turn on the way." She shrugged. "If you hadn't killed that thing, we would have died."

"You saved us. My dumb brother got angry at you without reason. I had to chew him out and make sure he got your back. I'm a bit sad we didn't meet, with me in the hospital. But I'm okay now, look!" She jumped around happily. "He's okay too, he's with Nozomi's sister."

Nozomi gave a half-step up front. "My sister liked having you in her group. She said you could have gone far if you applied yourself a little more, but also that you had a lot of stuff to take care of, with the Angels and everything. I'd have liked to meet you then too. We also got to meet our Moms thanks to you."

Shinji had didn't have the heart to tell the girls that had been an illusion. He knelt in front of the girls. "...I-I…", he stammered, but couldn't say anything else, as both girls hugged him in silence. Misato looked at the group, wishing she had been more attentive of her ward.

Hearing soft steps in the hall despite the clacking of the tracks, Misato turned around. Surprised, she recognized the girl approaching. "Rei!"

Shinji straightened up immediately.

Rei stopped next to Misato and bowed respectfully. "Major Katsuragi. Have you seen Pilot Ikari? I need to speak with him. I have some questions."

Misato nodded, "Don't we all?" she cocked her head towards the compartment, "Shinji is here, let's go back to the restaurant car and talk. I think this conversation will go down better with some food and drink. I know I really need a…" she looked back into the compartment and facepalmed; "…a soda. A soda would be nice."

* * *

Back at the restaurant car, the group found another two people, who apparently were expecting them. The first one was a young woman, whose skin was even paler tan Rei's, with a mane of rebellious black hair, which Shinji instantly compared to Harry Potter's. She wore black leather pants and boots, a beautiful black lace corset, and a golden ankh hung from her neck.

The woman smiled and waved at the group, indicating the seats next to her. Her companion stood next to her, he wore a purple robe, with the hood up. Only the lower half of his face was visible; the upper half was completely hidden by a deep shadow. His hands held a big book, chained to his right wrist. For some unexplained reason, he was barefoot.

"Okay," Misato said, wishing she had her trusty gun at hand. But she had lost it somewhere at the lower levels of NERV. Still, she made sure there was a bottle near her hands when she approached the pair, keeping Shinji and the girls behind her. "Who are you and what the hell is happening here?"

"Oh, that's easy," said the girl, amused, "I am Death, this is my brother Destiny; I am sorry to tell you so directly, but there really is no way to do it softly. You are dead. This is the train to the Afterlife. But there is a small complication that involves two different worlds."

Shinji stammered, but decided there was no point in waiting. If he was to be punished, it would be better to hurry. "Is it my fault, I guess."

Death patted the seat next to her. "Not exactly your fault, Shinji. Frankly, the Fate of your dimension had to give you a really bad hand. The chance you had to win with that hand was so small it was practically a safe bet you would do what you did at the end. However, you did what you could to give everybody a chance to return. It's not your fault if they didn't. The Death of your dimension agrees. You are not to be held responsable. The guilty parties are on their way to a very different place; and their trip, well, they won't like it. They won't enjoy their future accommodations, believe me. The guys on charge at the other place are really pissed at them."

Misato exhaled. She had been almost ready to do something rash to protect Shinji and the girls.

Death turned her eyes to the little girls behind Rei. "Are you ready?" she asked warmly. Both girls nodded, smiling. "Good, you can go to the next car. Your families are waiting for you."

Waving goodbye at the group, the two girls exited from the restaurant car, laughing without any worry.

Things were developing in strange directions, and Rei decided that to watch and learn as much as possible was a good idea.

Death resumed the conversation once Nozomi and Sakura were gone, "Now, normally I would be all for you to keep on your travel until you are ready to transcend, but my brother here has just given me some disquieting news."

Destiny spoke, his voice was soft and deep. "Shinji, you met Harry Potter before boarding the train, right?"

Misato scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, sure, the boy wizard!"

"The very same." Death said with complete seriousness. Misato opened and closed her mouth several times. "Turns out he died before his time, then met Shinji at the station, and that caused a divergence to his destiny."

"Am I in t-trouble?" Shinji asked miserably. "I just wanted to help him."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! One moment! Are you trying to say that Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, is real? He's just a character in a series of books!"

Death tilted her head to the left, studying Misato for a moment. "I can assure you he is are real as you are, Major. And that you yourselves are as fictitious as he is. Complicated stuff, I know; but there are infinite possibilities, infinite universes. In many of them, you three and everybody you know are characters in an anime series, or a manga, or movies, even novels and games. In others, Harry Potter is real, and his life is exactly as shown in the books."

The white-skinned woman looked at her brother, who continued, "In many universes, his life differs greatly from the books. Sometimes, he dies, sometimes he becomes a Dark Lord even worse than Voldemort. Sometimes, he is a girl, or has brothers or sisters. Or he is involved with different girls, or even more than one girl. Whatever you could imagine happening to Harry Potter or to you, occurs in some place in the multiverse (3). In at least one of those universes, Third Impact is averted thanks to a dimensionally displaced Harry Potter, rescued by Shinji Ikari during his time inside the Twelfth Angel, although in that universe, the book series does not exist." (4)

Death spoke then. "The point is, normally, you would be allowed to continue your travel in this train, until you can make peace with your actions in life and be ready to advance to whatever happens after."

"And then what? If there's someone who should know what happens after death, then Death would be the one to know." Misato asked with some sarcasm.

Death shrugged, "I am not allowed to go all the way there. My job is simply to escort the souls of the dead to begin their travel to the next level; they don't always remember me. I'm sure you don't." She shrugged again. "I will perform my job until the very end of the universe; then, to put it in simple words, I will put the chairs over the tables, turn off the lights; and lock the door behind me. I don't know what happens then."

"…I had to ask." Misato facepalmed.

Destiny opened his book. "The Harry Potter Shinji met has returned to his life, but there is a recent development we have to discuss with you." He put the book on the table, showing an image of Sybill Trelawney and Albus Dumbledore.

Shinji looked at the animated image, and gasped. "That was a new Prophecy, wasn't it?"

"Yes." He put a scroll over the table, where it unfurled itself, showing the text of the Prophecy.

Rei read it quickly, following the lines with a finger, "These two lines seems to reference me. Obliquely. Must I suppose these two reference Ikari? They seem to fit. Therefore, these two would refer to either Major Katsuragi or Harry Potter." The former First Child tapped on each set of lines on the scroll.

Destiny nodded. "There are several individuals who could fit the Prophecy as written. Some in Wizarding Britain, some in mundane Britain, and some in other countries, both in the magical and mundane populations. However, thanks to Shinji's intervention, you three are the best fit; your initials already appeared in the Prophecy tag." He showed them a copy of the tag he himself had put on the stand of the Prophecy sphere in the Department of Mysteries.

Misato's brow furrowed a bit, she looked at where she thought Destiny's eyes should be, hidden in the shadows of his hood. "The initials are in the wrong order."

"They are in the order you would write it. It's not my fault if that same order is not used in the West." Misato could have sworn there was a small, amused smile on Destiny's lips when he asked, "Would you be willing to go?"

Shinji nodded, "I want to go. He is my friend."

Misato put a hand on his shoulder, "Where you go, I go. I won't leave you alone anymore."

Rei hesitated. "I... I fulfilled the purpose behind my creation. I have no reason to exist anymore."

Shinji jumped to her side. "No, Rei! My..." He shook his head. "That was Commander Ikari's purpose for you. You are a human being. You decide what's your purpose. No one else."

She looked at him, "Would you give me a purpose?", she whispered.

Shinji lowered his eyes. "I can't decide for you, Rei. I can only choose for myself. You have to choose your own purpose."

"I... I don't know how..." there was a hint of despair in Rei's voice, "I never had to choose before I met you." Death and Destiny looked around, as if expecting someone else to arrive.

Misato passed an arm over the bluenette's shoulders. "Come with us, Rei. Who knows? Maybe you could find your purpose there."

The bluenette nodded with determination. Her facial expression remined Shinji of the Rei he had first met, wounded and suffering terrible pain, yet willing to risk her life against the Third Angel.

* * *

**_Author Notes:_ **

(1) Actually, that's a little bit of fanfic. According to Daphne's bio at the Harry Potter Wikia, it is not known if she was among the Slytherin students who were evacuated. I read in The Aftermath, by Colt01 that some Slytherin students did remain at Hogwarts, fighting for the Light side, and Daphne herself had acted as an emergency nurse. 

(2) This title references the Vertigo line of mature titles published by DC Comics. The Endless, seven incarnations of concepts and ideas, are great characters; and sometimes they, especially Death, simply demand to be included. Look for the Sandman series, and I guarantee your minds will be blown more than once; the first volume is quite inside the mainstream DC Universe, but later volumes find their own identity. Maybe sometime the Endless will let Death from Discworld take over a scene, as he is another favorite of mine.

(3) This version of the multiverse comes directly from one of my all time favorite novels; _What Mad Universe_ , by Fredric Brown (not Fred _e_ ric). It is quite the story! The editor of a science-fiction magazine is accidentally transported to a world full of SF cliches, and some weird things that were unique to that universe. The poor guy has to find a way to return to his world, of course.

(4) I'm referencing the story _Harry Potter and the Blue-Haired Angel_ , by Quatermass. Great story, and one of the inspirations for this tale.


	13. Chapter 13

**_You Have Our Curiosity/_ ** _**Closing a Book, Opening Another/Magical Spoilers, Sweety/I'm Out of Bubblegum. Will Chocolate Do?** _

* * *

**_You Have Our Curiosity_ **

* * *

"And here they are, people! The Gruesome Twosome! The Twin Terrors! The Dynamic Duo! The Weasley Twins themselves!" Harry held open the door of the compartment, allowing everybody inside to look at the pair that had knocked a moment before.

"Oh, you know us so well, Ickle Harrykins!" Fred smiled, while George bowed to the group.

"Say, can we talk to you for a minute? Ronnie is in quite a state back in our compartment, and we would like to hear your side of the story." George said, while Fred repeated his brother's bow to the group.

"Before deciding if there's any need to prank you, our beloved almost brother." They chorused.

"Sure." Harry sweeped a hand towards the group of students who shared the compartment, apart from Hermione, everybody shrank a bit on their seats, not wanting to catch the attention of the infamous pranksters.

Fred and George raised their empty hands, "We come in peace, everybody; just relax. We will return Harry to you in a few minutes."

Harry closed the door behind him, and ushered the twins into the next, empty compartment.

After George cast a few privacy spells at the door, Harry began his explanation. "Well, before the summer break ended, I decided to write to some other students from other houses, to propose a study group. Ron didn't like that I included Miss Greengrass."

"Ah, pretty bird, that one." Fred said, rubbing his chin.

"She's smart, ambitious..."

"Like most snakes, you must admit, Harry." George interrupted him.

"Yeah, but unlike Malfoy and his goons, she actually works at getting better _herself_ , not at pushing _everybody else down_. Hermione has shared a library table with her several times, and Greengrass treats her decently. So, I asked her to hear my proposal."

"Aren't you a bit young to propose?" Fred winked at George.

Harry blushed a bit, "To propose the study group, you reprobate!" Harry laughed. The twins joined him a moment later.

"You know how deep Ron's attitude to anything Slytherin is. Nothing more than a den of dark Wizards in training, just Death Eaters wannabes. He is unable to see anything else!"

"And you are able?" The twins asked.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Please! I have realized that not everything is so cut and dried as I had thought. Bloody hell, just last year I was believed to be Slytherin's Heir, guys!"

The twins nodded, "A fine prank had it been true. A Gryffindor Heir of Slytherin! Old Salazar would be spinning in his tomb so fast it would be heard in Beauxbatons!"

Harry smiled at the image. "Yeah, you're right. Now, back to Ron. He was my first friend in the Wizarding World, and it would hurt to lose him. But I have decided to think on my future, beyond whatever disaster is waiting for me this year."

Both twins scowled, "Black."

"Black." Repeated Harry, "Just think for a moment, a Gryffindor betrayed his closest friends. A Gryffindor. Not a Slytherin, a Ravenclaw, or a Hufflepuff." It irked him to use Padfoot's undeserved reputation this way, but he needed to establish himself as a forward thinking wizard. Bloody hell, that had been Padfoot's idea! "I need to get much better at magic to have a hope of surviving the Dark Lord's followers!"

"Ah, so you're not going Ravenclaw on us, little brother." Fred said.

"As much as I would like to goof off a lot, the truth is I cannot afford it. I really need to focus on my studies." A sudden light flashed in his brain. "Hey, would you like to participate? Not as students, but as mentors. I am very sure you are not as bad at studying as your grades show. Am I wrong?"

The twins looked at each other, silently debating with each other. After a moment, they looked at Harry, and Fred spoke. "Very good, little brother, very good. You are right, we aim at keeping our scores at a certain point." Meanwhile, George balanced his hands up and down, palms upward.

Harry leaned forward, conspiratorially, and tapped the side of his nose. "Not so high as to have a shot at a job at the Ministry, not so low as to have to repeat a year."

"My, my, Fred!" George smiled, "Our little Harrykins has found our secret! Maybe we can get some use of that graveyard lot we got from that muggleborn witch back in our Second Year!"

 _'Shinji didn't tell me about that!'_ Harry thought, then reason reasserted itself. "I'm sure we don't have to go to such extremes, big brothers of mine. I... have a non-marriage proposal for you. And I am sure enough you will accept that I am willing to put ten galleons on the line." He proceeded to put a small pile of golden coins on the compartment table, one by one.

"Really? Well, what kind of proposal you have in mind?" George leaned back and crossed his arms, Fred followed suit a second later. Yet both nodded and rummaged in their pockets, they had five galleons in total, they put the coins on the table, next to Harry's own. "Sorry, five is our limit for now."

Harry shrugged, and took one coin from his pile, "Business. I want you to help me with potions and to learn spell crafting. I can pay you a reasonable sum. But you have to keep it secret, guys. I want to learn in peace."

"Harry, Harry, Harry..." Fred tsked; "You are asking for us to split our very valuable time and resources. Some extra money would be nice, true, but we are doing well for ourselves."

"Ah, but my payment would not be limited to mere money. Let me speculate a bit." Harry smirked, _'Speculate, my arse. I know exactly what you want.'_

He leaned back, tenting his fingers in front of his face. "You want to work by yourselves, and all this pranking you do at Hogwarts is not simply a way to pass the time. It's research. You are developing your own line of prank products. You want to open your own store."

"Guilty as charged, Harry. We'd appreciate if you kept that under your hat. Mum would go spare before we are ready to begin!"

"I know, I know." Harry raised his hands conciliatorily, "I have seen her Howlers and I don't want to be near one again. Now, the thing is, I want your help, and I can help you. I want to be your business partner. By the time I graduate, I will receive my inheritance, and I'm sure it will be more than enough to open a store. That is if we aren't ready to begin before that, but we are working with that goal date."

Fred rubbed his chin in deep thought, while George scratched his forehead with his left index finger.

"Tempting, But I think we must refuse."

Harry nodded, and pushed the pile of coins towards the duo, "Well, thanks for listening. We had high hopes for working with you two."

"Hmm… who are this 'We' you speak of?" George raised an eyebrow, " Do you mean Plural or Royal?"

"Plural. I have a partner, whose name I'm not at a liberty to share. But I can tell you the name of our business enterprise."

"Oooh... a mysterious partner!" Fred clapped once and proceeded to rub his hands together. "And a secret, probably nefarious group!"

Harry stood up, he didn't want to stay away from his compartment, the Dementors could arrive at any minute. "Yeah, Padfoot Enterprises, but we might change the name later, if we can think of a better one. See you later, guys." He closed the door behind himself.

The twins stayed there for several minutes, their mouths gaping.

By the time they finally came out of their stupor, the next stage of this little drama would be over, with surprising results.

* * *

_**Closing a Book, Opening Another** _

* * *

"Now, just let me check if I got the basics down. In short, there is an infinite number of universes, and thanks to Shinji speaking to a Harry Potter from another universe, we have a second chance to live?"

Death nodded. "It is so, Major Katsuragi. But there is a price to pay." She looked at the table for a moment. "You won't be able to go back to your original universe."

Shinji shuddered, and added miserably. "…There is not much to go back there anyway… Third Impact killed everything."

"Actually, animals and plants survived more or less unscathed, outside Third Impact immediate area. By the time you died, Shinji, people were starting to emerge from the Sea of Souls. And they were independent and resourceful, the kind of mind that were deeply unsatisfied with the illusory paradises fabricated by Instrumentality; well… human civilization got rid of most of the less progressive elements; the lazy, the obstructive, the unambitious, the disruptive and the destructive… they stayed in Instrumentality. And as a bonus, those souls who returned did so in perfectly healthy bodies. Even some individuals who had suffered crippling injuries or diseases came back in perfectly healthy bodies."

Shinji's eyes opened wider than ever. "Toji? That's why his sister..?"

Death nodded with a smile. "They and their father, plus Miss Horaki and her family were among the first to return. Interestingly, your pet had enough of a soul to be both incorporated into Instrumentality and to return from it."

Misato sighed in relief. "That bird never knew when to lay down! …Wait a minute. If they lived after Third Impact, then why they were still children when we saw them here?"

Death smiled at her, "This place gives souls some leeway, and ordinary mortal grammar is awfully inadequate to manage tenses from different points in time. Yes, they will live again after Third Impact, and yes, the girls we just spoke with are technically part of Instrumentality at this point in their existences. They don't know about the future. And their future selves will not remember this talk, except, maybe, as an almost forgotten dream."

Destiny opened his book in a different place. "Just as Second Impact was a terrible blow for humankind, Third Impact was a blessing in disguise. Barely a century and a half after Third Impact, Mankind begun to explore the Solar System in force, colonizing the other planets."

"But how could that… happen..?"

Death took Shinji's hand in hers," Remember, we are outside the normal flow of time. This is an atemporal place. Everything outside seems to happen at the same time from this perspective."

Shinji thought deeply for a moment, while Misato looked at him, holding his shoulder. Finally, he spoke. "So… that was why I could meet Harry in what for him was 1993 and for me was…" He interrupted himself, frowning deeply, "…sometime after 2017. I don't know when I died." He raised his eyes, looking at yet another unknown ceiling. "I didn't see any point in keeping count of time anymore. Not after…"

"Shinji…" Misato spoke with hesitation, "What happened after …I died..?"

The brown-haired pilot leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. "Please don't ask me that, Misato… It hurts so much…"

Destiny beckoned Misato to follow. "I can tell you." He turned to Shinji. "if you allow me to. I won't tell her anything you wouldn't. That is your story to tell, should you decide to."

With a small voice, Shinji answered, "…thank you."

While Destiny and Misato went to the next car, Death smiled at Shinji. "I have a message for you. She asked me to give it to you when alone. I'll go get a coffee while you listen to it." She put a snow globe on the table, it depicted a small cabin in the woods. "Just grab it to listen the message. I'll be back in a few minutes. Rei, help me get some plates for everybody. You might not need it, but I have found that talking over some food helps things go better."

The bluenette's brow furrowed for a moment, until she saw Shinji nodding at her. She went after Death, ready to help.

* * *

Shinji looked intently at the snow globe for several seconds. Finally, he took it in his hands. A voice sounded in his mind. A voice he had both longed and dreaded to hear again.

The voice of Asuka Langley Soryu.

She sounded almost like she had that day on the _Over the Rainbow_ , full of fire and strength.

"Hey, baka! Stop moping and take a chance for once! Now, pay attention, because I want to make sure you know one thing." The voice paused, while Shinji's hands trembled.

"I forgive you. And I want you to forgive me."

Shinji almost dropped the globe.

"Yeah, I know. Hard to believe." The voice sounded sad. "I am sorry about all the things I said and did after Third Impact. …And before. I was a fool. Just a broken doll made of pride and anger. After I died the first time, when the EVA series killed me, I was _so_ angry at you. The one time in my life I admitted, even to myself, that I wanted, that I needed your help, and that was the time you didn't came. But I was even angrier at myself. For all the things I had wanted to do and wouldn't dare to. When we returned, I was still so angry. And then… well… you know what happened."

A long pause.

"Em… I… I don't really know how I could fix things now. Death offered me the chance to go with you, Misato, and Wondergirl, I mean, Rei; Gott, it is so hard to drop that anger, even now… Well, Death said I could go with you to that other world. But she also gave me a choice, and I took the other option. I will stay with Mama. She's back, Shinji! She's back to how she was before Unit-02 ate half her soul! Please forgive me this selfishness." The happiness in her voice made Shinji smile despite himself.

"We have a lot of lost time we want to recover. So do me a favour. Go back to be the Invincible Shinji-Sama I should have been proud to fight alongside with! Kick some wizarding ass in my name. And above all, get a nice girlfriend; I bet there are more than a few witches who would love to have a nicely domestic wizard like you can be! Ah, I don't want you to come back into deadland until you are at least a grand dad! If you die before that, I will personally kick your scrawny ass all the way to Heaven and Hell and back! Now, go! Make me proud, Baka. But above all, be proud of yourself. You may not believe it, but you deserve to be proud of yourself."

Once he was convinced there would be nothing else. Shinji put the globe back on the table, leaned back, and sighed. He felt as if he had spent years being crushed under a slab of stone, and then, released from the weight.

He didn't notice, but a small object fell on the seat.

* * *

In the other car, Destiny allowed Misato to see what had happened after her body had been blasted to atoms in that dusty platform in the GeoFront.

Each image stoked the fires of her anger. It took her all of her discipline to stay until the end. Seeing Shinji howling in despair in front of a Bakelite encased, unresponsive Unit-01, while Unit-02 was devoured by those white abominations was awful enough she wanted to vomit.

But when she saw Shinji trying desperately to keep himself and Asuka alive after Third Impact, her heart broke once more. And the fragments reformed into a frozen knife when she saw Asuka die.

It was a pathetically prosaic way to die, even. She wandered away from Shinji, and fell into a crack in the ground, breaking her neck and dying instantly.

Shinji looked for her for several days, screaming her name until his throat was raw, until he finally found her. After burying her, he simply shut down. Echoing her own nervous breakdown, Shinji lay down on a bathtub, and waited.

With no one to rescue him, he finally breathed his last.

Destiny closed his book.

Misato trembled in silent, impotent rage.

"Major Katsuragi." Softly, Destiny spoke after a while. "Heaven and Hell do exist. The responsible parties are on their way to Hell, if it helps."

He opened the book again, Misato would never speak to anybody about what she saw, but a malicious grin parted her lips at seeing the final fates that awaited both SEELE and Gendo Ikari.

She looked at where she guessed Destiny's eyes would be. "I'd have thought it was forbidden for you to show this kind of thing to us mere mortals."

"In ordinary circumstances, it is. But as you will not return to your universe, it is mostly irrelevant. I am allowed some discretion in this kind of matters. You will forget most of it anyway."

"Well, at least they are getting what they deserve."

* * *

Death served some simple snacks on a big platter, while Rei poured tea and coffee in several cups. "You are fond of him." It was not a question.

"I am. He was the first person to care for me. Not as a weapon, an experiment, or a freak. He was my only friend for a while. Even though I wasn't ready to respond appropriately to that friendship. Even after my true nature was revealed to him, and he withdrew from me, I kept that emotion. He is the reason I forsake Commander Ikari's plan."

"I know, it feels a bit weird to have met you so many times. Usually, I have only one chance to meet anybody. You are a most unusual person."

Rei stopped, and turned her head to study Death's face. "I have a vague recollection of you."

Death tilted her head, "Yeah, we have met three times before."

Rei's lips became a tight line. "Dr. Akagi."

Death nodded. "Naoko, yes."

"The Fifteenth Angel."

Death smiled. Several seconds passed.

"I do not remember the third time."

"After Third Impact. Once you and Kaworu Nagisa dissolved your mixed form. You were so focused on keeping the Gestalt of the souls you didn't even notice."

Rei bit her lower lip, thinking hard. "I am remembering things I didn't experience." She gasped, and almost dropped a cup.

"No, you did experience them, but your soul was fragmented to power Unit-00. As the memory back-up was not used after your first death, your access to those memories was completely lost. Until you passed on. Your soul is complete again. All of it. You have all your memories now, and your emotions." Death took Rei's hand in hers. "You will recover everything that was taken from you. Your memories, your emotions, your ability to bear children, your S2 organ…"

Death looked warmly at Rei's crimson eyes, "Even your brother."

The cup escaped Rei's fingers, and fell to the floor.

* * *

_**A (subjective) while later.** _

Misato took Rei's hand in her left hand, and Shinji's in her right. "We agree. But we need to know exactly how we are going to integrate into Harry Potter's word. We have no documents or anything to prove who we are supposed to be."

Destiny nodded. "There were three individuals there, who disappeared a little while ago in the sea. They were practically your twins. You can take their identities. They did pass on, and there is no one left who could dispute your identities. You will have enough memories from them that you will be able to speak about their lives as if they were your own."

Misato nodded. "And I guess that by some incredible coincidence, they look like us, down to their fingerprints, and even their names coincide with ours." She asked sarcastically.

Destiny nodded solemnly at her. "Of course."

Misato gasped. "I was joking!"

Death patted her brother's arm, "And they say Destiny has no sense of humour…" She stage whispered at the human trio. "He has one, but it is very twisted."

* * *

The group discussed several other matters to be as prepared as they could. Shinji was surprised to learn he and Rei would be new students at Hogwarts, and in the same year Harry was, though they were the right age to be Fifth Years. Both would be de-aged to fit to their alternates' ages. With magic knowledge equivalent to an average student. They would have to be sorted, though.

To Misato's chagrin, it was decided she would be best placed away from Hogwarts. "I should be with you two! I promised I wouldn't fail you again!"

Shinji answered, "You won't, but it would be difficult to explain your stay at Hogwarts unless you were a student." Misato was amazed at the change in her ward. It seemed he had found some source of strength in the message Death had given him.

"At least I want to be present when you arrive to the castle. I want to be sure you are okay."

Destiny cleared his throat, "Take this," he extended an old book to Misato. "Ask Hagrid to take you back to Hogsmead after the Sorting ceremony. Once there, the portkey will take you to your destination."

"Very well." Misato checked the cover of the book. " _Good Omens_ , by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman?"

"Two of my favorite authors." Death added, smiling mysteriously.

* * *

Once the group of mortals had departed with Destiny, Death took three small objects from the seat. "Show yourself, Sister. I know you have been here the whole time."

A morbidly obese woman appeared, occupying the whole seat. Her skin was as white as the belly of a beached fish, her hair a tangled black mass, and she was completely naked, partially covered by filth and grime.

Death handed her the three objects. "I think these belong to you, Despair."

Despair accepted the objects, and studied them in the palm of her hand. Three rusted fish-hooks. "Aw… they forgot them." She whispered with a hoarse voice, as if she had been screaming for a long time.

"They actually dropped them, and didn't even realize it."

"Oh, well… there's always the next time." Despair shrugged. "I will be watching them, Sister."

"I know you will. I know you will." Death sighed.

* * *

**_Magical Spoilers, Sweety_ **

**_Warning:_ ** _This section is basically made of Harry Potter spoilers! If you haven’t read the books and/or seen the movies, you should hurry up or skip this part._

* * *

Destiny left the group in a compartment, while the train arrived to a waystation, where they could change train and go to Harry Potter's world. Misato took the opportunity to get up to date.

"Okay, Shinji, give me the Cliff's Notes. I need to know exactly what's going on in Magical Britain. And it seems you have already read the whole script."

Shinji kept silent for a few seconds, gathering his thoughts. Then spoke with a certainty Misato hadn't seen in him for a long while, if ever. "Sure. There are three basic kinds of people in Harry Potter's world. Magical, people who can use and manipulate magic; Muggles, the regular people; and Squibs, people born from magical parents, but almost without magic; they can see magical things and creatures that Muggles can´t, and some are good at making potions, but that´s it." He paused to collect his thoughts.

"Magical society is very elitist, so, the powerful have several categories more, to show their power and social level. At the top, the Purebloods, who can track back their ancestry through several generations of purely magical relatives. The Half-bloods, who have one Magical parent and a Muggle, or a Muggle grandparent. That includes several generations up for some Pureblood, to them, if one of your great-grandparents was a Muggle, you are a half-blood; for other Purebloods, the relatively progressive ones, you are a Half-blood only if one of your parents or grandparents is a Muggle."

Misato filed that information in her mind, and nodded again, encouraging Shinji to continue.

"Then, the Muggleborns, magicals who are born from two Muggle parents. They are heavily discriminated, especially in work opportunities, a very knowledgeable and able Muggleborn won't be able to get a good job, while an idiot born in the right family can count on having a very cushy job, with barely any obligations or responsabilities. The Pureblood supremacists hate the Muggleborn, calling them 'Mudbloods'. A few years after Harry returned to the Magical World, the Muggleborns are accused of stealing the magic of _fine upstanding pureblood citizens_ , causing squibs to be born; they are judged guilty, and sent to camps." Shinji's eyes opened wide, as he realized the implications of what he had said. "I-I'm not sure if they are killed there, or…"

Misato shook her head. "I understand, magical Nazis. I thought it would be harder to wrap my head around all this. Damn…! I fear to think of what went on the Nazi camps. Go on."

The former EVA pilot drank a sip from a bottle of soda, suddenly, his mouth felt awfully dry. "The whole fabric of society is so steeped on this mindset, most people can't even see it. The obvious problem is the Pureblood movement. They believe that only wizards and witches who can track their genealogy over several generations have any right to govern the country, the more ancient the magic, the higher their position and more power they deserve. Everybody else is a mongrel who should be oppressed, driven away, or preferably, killed."

"Their leader, the so-called Lord Voldemort, has organized the worst of those supremacists into a small army, the Death Eaters. His shock troops. About fourteen years ago, they could kill and torture with impunity, because the Ministry for Magic is corrupt to the core, the magical police ineffectual, and almost nobody wanted to get involved. Many families were wiped out by them either because they were 'unworthy' due to their blood status, or because they opposed Voldemort. This went for several years, until Voldemort got himself blown up trying to kill Harry, who was barely a toddler. After that, the Ministry got off their asses, and finally managed to put some order back. But many of the captured Death Eaters managed to get scott-free, claiming they had been under the Imperius curse, a kind of mind-control. Those were the rich ones, so you can imagine what actually happened."

"The word 'bribe' comes to my mind. Go on." She said bitterly.

"They still dominate the upper crust of society, with either money, intimidation, or both. According to them, the purer the blood, the more powerful the wizard or witch. That's patently false. Inbreeding is a big problem, but they refuse to acknowledge that, many of the 'pure' families have trouble to have children, or the ones they have are magically weak or cannot do magic at all. Actually, the most powerful wizards in Britain are all half-bloods. Harry Potter, Dumbledore, and Voldemort himself."

"Wait, Voldemort is not a pureblood?" Misato arched an eyebrow.

"No, his real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle; but he has taken steps to hide that from his followers."

Misato tapped her index on her chin for a few seconds, thinking. She nodded to herself, "We will go back to that later, Shinji, continue."

Shinji extended three fingers in the air, ticking each one in turn, "There are three main factions in Magical Britain. The Dark, closely associated with the pureblood movement. The Light, theoretically opposed to the Dark. And the Neutrals. If we enter Harry's world at the beginning of his Third Year at Hogwarts, the Light is apparently in control, but the Dark is gaining terrain behind the scenes."

"The Neutral faction is not powerful enough to push their own agenda, so they tend to align with either the Dark or the Light, depending on their individual preference. They are not really united."

"Now, the Dark wants a regime with the Purebloods on top, then the half-bloods, if they are submissive, useful, or wealthy enough. The muggleborns would be practically slaves, or killed."

"The Light, under Dumbledore's influence, basically wants to keep Magical Britain's status quo. And they are about as progressive as Victorian England."

"Ugh. It sounds like something out of a Dickens novel."

"Yeah." Shinji sighed. "But with more instant death and magical pain. Dumbledore insists on giving everybody second, third, fourth chances. And that everybody fights with stunning and binding spells. Even I can see those were not the best ideas."

Rei raised a hand. "What are we to do, then?"

Shinji's face brightened. "Well, when I met Harry, we talked at length about what is really going on. Including the information Dumbledore wanted to keep hidden from him. And what he could do to protect himself and minimize the effects of Voldemort's return, maybe even stop him before he can return to life. There was a prophecy that apparently marked him or Neville Longbottom, as the only one who could defeat and or kill Voldemort. He was about a year and a half old, when Voldemort killed Harry's parents and tried to kill him too, but something went wrong for him, and Voldemort got blown up in the backlash; all they found of him was a pile of ashes and his clothes."

Shinji smiled bitterly, "But had he had the full prophecy, he probably would have steered clear of any child. The Chosen One had to be marked by Voldemort for the prophecy to come true." Shinji tapped his forehead, tracing a zigzag. "Harry got a scar on his forehead, and also a fragment of Voldemort's soul."

Misato almost fell down from the seat. "What? How is that even possible?"

"That was one of the main problems for Harry in the books, Misato. Riddle got his hands on an ancient ritual, designed to break a part of his soul and store it in a container. That way, for as long as the container exists, he cannot pass to the Other Side, urm… this side, actually… Another ritual would allow him to reincarnate in a new body."

"Great, so now we have to find a way to get Harry Potter free from that piece of sh…oul, find the other object, whatever it is, and Riddle is done, right?" to herself, she added, "I can see why Death would want us to get into this… That guy is cheating!"

"Um… No. Not one object. Riddle made _six_ objects, Horcruxes they are called. I know what they are, and where they are. I told Harry what they are and where he can find them, including a decoy. If things are going as I think, he is very probably doing something about it."

"Then what are we to do? I mean, I know we fit that second prophecy, but what can we contribute?"

Destiny returned then, followed by several strange creatures, that looked like architectural gargoyles taken from a cathedral. "Major Katsuragi, your role in this story goes beyond stopping Riddle and his followers." The creatures held three large chests above their bird-like heads. Each chest was obviously old, well cared for, and intricately decorated with delicate incrustations of both wood, gold, and jewels. Misato and Shinji's jaws fell down. Rei simply took everything in stride. It was her who spoke first. "What is the purpose of these chests?"

Destiny waved a hand, and the gargoyles put the chests on the floor, at a space that had cleared itself from any furniture. "They contain your belongings. Both new and old. Clothes, books. Even a cello." Destiny opened a flat box that rested over one of the chests.

"These are your wands. Attuned to you and you alone." He said, opening the box. Inside, resting over a luxurious cushion of silk, rested three magic wands, each of them unique in both construction and design.

Instinctively, each one knew which one was their wand. The knowledge of most basic spells and magical theory surged into their memories as soon as they touched their wands.

Misato examined her wand with critical eye. It was simple and elegant in design, free of any adornment. Still, it was lovingly carved from a flawless piece of pine. The body had been tinted red, and the handle black. It measured 36 cm (14" 1/4 )

Shinji's wand had been made of two different woods. A rarity in the magical world. Their names jumped to his memory. Fir and hawthorne. It measured a little over 25 cm (9" ¼) and was somewhat springy. Its shape was, for somebody who didn't know about Evangelions, similar to a dagger, and the handle would reinforce the similarity, but it was actually shaped like the 'horn' Unit-01 had in the middle of its forehead. It even had a green stripe near the handle, itself similar to the handle of a fixed-blade Progressive Knife.

Rei's wand was carved from two spirals, similar to the horn of a unicorn, but made of vine and yew. A vine wand was rare, even more combined with yew. It measured 25.4 cm (10"), very rigid.

Experimentally, Shinji raised his wand, and said, "Lumos". To his delight, a clear, pure white light emerged from the tip. Misato followed a moment later, her light was a warm yellow in colour. Rei followed their example, and her light was a calming blue, almost white.

Destiny nodded approvingly. Shinji looked at the wands of his companions, and furrowed his brow, "Um… Destiny, why our wands are made of two woods, while Misato only has one?"

"Your time as EVA pilots has changed your souls. a wand made of a single wood would burn itself in less than a year. These wands are well matched to both of you. They will last you a lifetime, unless they are destroyed."

"Hah!" Misato decided to lighten the mood. "Still, I have the longest wand, so you'll have to obey me!"

Shinji had to laugh at that, and Rei's lips parted in a minute smile.

* * *

**_I'm Out of Bubblegum. Will Chocolate Do?_ **

* * *

As he left the compartment, Harry put a few locking charms on the door, it would be bad if the twins got out before the Dementor had been dealt with.

"They are gone." Harry said, looking through the window of the door. And took his seat back. _'At least the bloody Dementor didn't arrive while I was on the way here._

The rest were still laughing at Malfoy's foolishness. Harry put a finger to his mouth, asking for silence, a nod of his head reminded everybody that there was a sleeping teacher with them, so they tried to control their laughter, managing to reduce it to mere giggling. He got comfortable on his seat, but didn't join the chatter.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Hermione asked.

 _'Of course, she would be the one to notice.'_ Harry thought. "Yeah, I'm fine. I lost a bet with the twins. Nothing to worry about. I just have a lot to think about."

"Well, I think we should go back to our own compartments, Hannah?" Susan Bones was about to get up, when Harry noticed the train was slowing. He put up a hand, asking for silence.

"Wait," he whispered. "the train is stopping. It's too soon, we are still a long way from Hogwarts."

Parvati looked out the window. "I can't see a thing out there. It's raining cats and dogs outside!"

As the train finally stopped with a shudder, Harry felt both relief and dread. He was glad the flickering light of the lanterns was too weak for the time being, as he was sure his face was a mask of barely contained fear. He peeked out the window, noticing some heads sticking out the door of the other compartments.

Suddenly, all the lights went out at the same time, leaving the car in almost complete darkness. The girls gasped, and Neville got up. "What's going on?" The train stopped with a rattling sound. Somewhere far away, several crashes could be heard, as the luggage fell down in the cargo car.

"Shh… Everybody, stay on your seats." Harry ordered, his voice was somewhat grim and left no way to argue. "I think something happened. We should wait for a little while before going out. Padma, be ready to wake Professor Lupin, we might need him if there's an emergency; but for now, let him sleep."

Padma nodded reflexively, but realized there was no way for Harry to see her nod. "Okay." She whispered.

Once again, Harry checked the chocolate was still in his pocket, sighing as he found the pieces he had already unwrapped before boarding the train. He hoped it would be enough.

The group settled into a tense wait. To Harry's relief, the students who had been looking out their compartments apparently had decided to sit back and wait. They had also closed their doors, as an insidious wave of cold air swept through the car.

Hermione announced, "I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on."

Harry hissed his answer. "No, you won't. We don't know what's happening, and we might get in the way. We will stay here and wait."

"But, Harry..."

"He's r-right, Hermione. Surely somebody else is on the way to the locomotive right n-now."

Hermione surrendered with a sigh. "Yeah, I guess you're right, Neville…"

"Um… Harry? Do you think it will take long?" Susan's voice trembled a bit.

"I don't kn…" The opening of the door interrupted him. "Who's there?"

"It's me, Ginny. Is Ron here?"

"No, he went to look for Fred and George. He must be back in their compartment. They are in the next one, by the way. You better get in."

"Silence!" A new voice hissed hoarsely. To Harry's relief, Professor Lupin had woken by himself, and a soft light flooded the compartment. The man stood next to the window, holding a small ball of flames in his hand. The flickering light illuminating the cramped space with a stark contrast of light and shadows. The faces of the students tensed in fear. "Stay where you are." But, before Lupin could do anything, the compartment's door opened, and a wave of cold air invaded the place.

 _'…He's here…'_ Harry thought, turning his head back to the door, his hand closing around the biggest piece of chocolate in his pocket. It was almost the size of his fist.

Harry felt his breath get stuck in his throat. An impossibly tall figure floated in the corridor, the head completely hidden in the folds of his hood. No, not his hood, _its_ hood. The figure couldn't be human in any way.

The thing drew in a rattling breath, slowly pulling more than air into its maw. Harry felt his skin crawl with the cold of a shallow grave. The cold seeped into his chest, inside his heart. The world reduced itself to only him and the black cloaked apparition in front of him.

For a moment, Harry couldn't see, he felt himself being dragged downward. And he heard voices screaming, pleading hopelessly.

Somehow, his hand moved by itself, taking the chocolate piece out from his pocket. His numb fingers almost dropped the chocolate, while a man's voice roared in his ears. **_"Lily! Take Harry and run! I'll keep him here!"_** Harry knew it was the voice of his father, and the moment he had dreaded had arrived. A single tear rolled down his cheek.

Then, a new voice broke into his mind, Harry's eyes opened wider than ever, when he recognized it. **_"MISATO! REI! HELP ME!"_**

' _Shinji_?' Harry felt some measure of strength flowing back into his body; trembling, he raised his hand, while looking deeply into the open maw of the Dementor.

" ** _Not Harry, not Harry, please, not Harry!"  
_** _'..Mom…'  
 **"Stand aside, you silly girl… stand aside, now…"**_ Knowing whose voice that was, anger began to flood Harry.  
 ** _"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead-"_** As Harry realized the full weight of his parents' sacrifice, his hand rose a few inches more.

 ** _"PUSH HARDER!"_** Shinji grunted. A new voice joined the chorus in Harry's head, the voice of a teenage girl, rough with effort, yet strangely calm. **_"Major, rip those threads, I will rip the ones on my side. Shinji, keep pushing."_** A sharp stab of pain in Harry's scar distracted him for a moment, his hand went down an inch.

" ** _Not Harry! Please… have mercy… have mercy…"_**

Harry screamed, the pain in his head was almost unbearable. His skin broke open, and a sucking noise filled the air. For a moment, Harry heard a rage filled scream, full of fear and despair. A black stream of thick gunk flew from his scar, right into the Dementor's open maw. Harry's pain subsided quickly, and with the relief, his will came back with a vengeance.

Gritting his teeth, he shoved the piece of chocolate into the Dementor's mouth. "Take that, you monster!" he hissed through clenched teeth.

As if from a great distance, he barely heard Lupin stating "None of us is hiding Sirius Bla…"

Harry's fingers numbed instantly, his hand halfway into the Dementor's face. Somehow, he managed to release the chocolate and pull his hand out. He wrapped it quickly with his left hand; it was terribly cold, and crystals of ice had formed over the skin.

The Dementor screeched, fleeing blindly to the other side of the corridor, digging its claws in its face; the thing crashed against the wall with a muted noise, and exploded into a grey cloud of ashes, that stank to rotten meat and corrupted mud.

Darkness threatened to swallow Harry, he felt himself falling on the floor.

"Harry! Harry! Are you okay? Harry!" Hermione screamed almost hysterically. He managed to open his eyes, and squeezed her hand in his.

"I'll… be, I guess... Are you okay...?"

"We're all okay, what the hell was that thing? What was it doing here? Why did it attack you? What did you do to it? Was it a spell? An amulet?"

 _'That's the Hermione I know…'_ Harry felt strong hands pulling him up to a seat. "Harry, look at me. I'm Professor Lupin. Eat this, you'll feel better."

Harry looked at the piece of chocolate in his hand, and bit into it without hesitation. Almost immediately, he felt a little bit of warmth coursing through his veins. "Th-thanks, Professor. There's more in my b-bag, I guess everybody will need some."

Immediately, Hermione released Harry's hand and opened his bag to to pass the chocolate around. "Yes… How do you know that?" she asked. Their companions ate the chocolate in silence, still shocked to their very cores.

"…Ha-Hagrid's book…"

Hermione took Harry's hand again, and squeezed it a bit harder, she hadn't released it when Professor Lupin pulled him to a seat. It was a very nice, warm feeling. He rubbed his thumb against the back of her hand. "There's an appendix about Dark Creatures…"

"Yeah, but I didn't think you'd read so far ahead." Relieved to see him getting better, she smiled at him.

Seeing the situation was under control, Lupin looked around. The students were shocked, but in control of their actions. "Good thing you did, Harry." He passed a hand over his hair. "I never thought I'd see a Dementor driven away without a Patronus. Much less destroyed."

"I think something it ate disagreed with it…" he joked weakly.

Lupin's lips twitched into a lopsided smile. "It seems so, but I never heard of a Dementor being harmed by chocolate. It's a good remedy against the effects of its aura, but didn't thought it would have any effect on one."

"I didn't think it would. I just wanted to scare it away."

"Well… It's not a method I would recommend, except in the worst circumstances." Lupin stood up, and smoothed his old, ragged clothes. "I'll go check with the driver; I'll be back in a few minutes. Try to rest." Harry nodded, resting his head against the compartment wall. Hermione's hand still in his. He smiled at her, and closed his eyes.

_'Shinji? Are you there?'_

* * *

A few yards away, a previously empty compartment was now occupied by two teenagers. In the cargo car, two new chests appeared.

* * *

**_Author Notes_ **

Next chapter, Shinj, Rei and Misato’s POV. 


	14. Chapter 14

**_Back From the Dead/Arrivals_ **

* * *

**_Back From the Dead_ **

  
At a ghostly duplicate of the Tokyo-3 main train station, three travellers awaited as a bright white steam locomotive stopped on its tracks, covering the platform with a thick cloud of white steam. Major Misato Katsuragi noted, "Wow, I never would have thought I'd see one of these outside a museum…"

Shinji shrugged, "I guess it's one of those things magic does, and no one bothers to try to explain. I boarded our train at what seemed to be King's Cross Station. That one is in London. The architecture is completely different to the station we had in Tokyo-3."

Rei added. "Maybe the traveller sees what they need to see. It could depend on several factors, possibly including origin and destiny of the traveller, previous expectations, maybe even ambiental factors. Multiple factors could influence the appearance of the train."

The white train finally stopped, releasing a big puff of steam. A moment later, a single car opened its doors, inviting the trio inside.

The gargoyles moved their luggage into the cargo car as soon as the train stopped completely, the strange little creatures came out a few seconds later, and vanished silently. "Well, there´s no need to wait, I guess," Misato said, looking at the open door, letting Rei step inside.

Before boarding the train that would take them to Harry Potter's universe, a female voice called from the platform. "Mr. Ikari? Could we speak to you for a moment?" Despite having never met the woman or her companion before, Shinji recognized them immediately. Her hair and her eyes told the story as clearly as the day.

"Mrs. Potter." He bowed deeply. "Mr. Potter."

The man with the untameable hair bowed back, awkwardly mimicking the Japanese teenager. Then he shook Shinji's hand vigorously. "We just want to thank you for helping Harry."

Lily Potter smiled at her husband, and hesitantly took Shinji's hands in hers. "You have given him hope. We are in debt with you. He has a chance to live a much better life." Her smile was as radiant as the sun, a mix of relief and joy.

Misato slid her wand back into the forearm holster she had taken from her luggage. "Harry's parents, I guess."

"The very same, Major. Pleased to meet you." James Potter smiled at her, shaking her hand; his bright eyes sparkling from behind his glasses. "Death told us about the new prophecy, and we would like to help you a bit to fulfil it. And also, for you to give Harry a message. From what Death has told us and what we have been able to see occasionally, things in England are a complete mess." He shook his head sadly. "Not as bad as they were back at the end of the war, but heading there again."

"And from what Shinji has told me," Misato added, with a seriousness that belied her happy attitude off work hours. "things are going to get much worse. Unless we can help Harry put a stop to them."

James Potter nodded. "They will. The Pureblood supremacists are only waiting for the chance to strike. Even without the Dark Lord. Harry and Sirius' actions have delayed that, but haven't stopped it yet."

Misato sighed. "Back when I was a soldier for the UN, I heard a fellow soldier use an old Spanish saying. I think it would apply here: ' _Muerto el perro, se acabó la rabia_.'" She translated it for everybody else. "More or less, it means, ' _The dog dies, the rabies ends_.' I have no problem with doing what will probably be needed; _I am a trained soldier_ , and have seen more than my fair share of action; but I won't have my kids killing unless it is in self-defense, and as a last resort; I won't turn them into killers." She paused, "Nor victims. According to Shinji, Harry's Third Year at Hogwarts main problem was the threat of Sirius Black." She raised her right hand, cutting off James rebuttal, "We know he is innocent of the crimes he is accused of. So, without having to worry about him, Harry's year should be less of a problem. I think he should use the time to improve and train as much as possible. Both Shinji and Rei know a training regime they can share with Harry and some friends. It emphasises speed and agility over brute strength, and it will help them to dodge any spells thrown at them before retaliating."

While Misato spoke with James Potter, Shinji gulped. He had seen Misato kill, not in self-defence, but in his. In the end, at the cost of her life. He felt his fists contract forcefully. To his shame, he had been nothing that black day but dead weight, and his attitude had caused Misato and Asuka's deaths; followed by the very end of the world. Silently, he swore that he wouldn´t let things get that bad ever again, he would do whatever was needed to protect her, Rei, Harry or anybody he could ever call a friend.

Or more importantly, _family_.

Looking from the door, Rei studied her newly acknowledged brother. Due to her isolated upbringing, she was notoriously bad at reading social cues, but she knew Shinji enough to realize he was overwhelmed by emotions. Softly, she put a hand in his shoulder. When he turned around to look at her, she pressed her lips into a fine line, and looking at his big blue eyes, she nodded. _'You are not alone,'_ she meant.

He relaxed a bit, looked back at her enigmatic crimson eyes, and nodded back. He wasn't a mind reader either, almost as crippled socially as her; but he got her meaning, and his corresponding nod meant, _'Neither are you. We are together in this.'_

This took them less than four seconds.

Meanwhile, the Potters and Misato had kept on talking. The Major clapped her hands together, "Well, I will do so!" Her smile was as wide as Shinji had ever seen. She laughed.

Lily's voice brought him out from his thoughts, "Mr. Ikari? Please tell Harry that we love him, we are proud of him, and miss him terribly. But we are in no hurry for him to come to us. We want him to live happily. For him to be a justly proud man, able to stand on his own two feet."

James Potter held his wife in a one-armed hug. "Tell him to relax a bit. He should try his hand on some pranks." Lily elbowed him in the guts. James wheezed his next words, "A-and maybe snog a few gi-oooufff!" Another elbow in his stomach cut him off. He gasped painfully, his hands over his diaphragm. "Behave, darling." She whispered sweetly at him.

Lily Potter nodded decisively. "Mr. Ikari," she smiled at him, "apart from this message, would you be so kind to give Harry a few memories? You will need a pensieve to show it to him, but it would mean a lot to us if he had better memories of us than our last moments."

Shinji tried to speak, but the words failed him, finally, he managed to nod.

Lily hugged him, and Shinji felt himself melting into the kind of hug he could only dream about. A hug full of motherly love, followed by another hug wrapping both him and Mrs. Potter. Now a fatherly presence joined them.

Shinji's heart beat faster than ever. The embrace lasted several minutes. Until both Potters broke it gradually, giving Shinji time to settle down. Lily Potter put a delicate glass vial in Shinji's hands. "Give this to him as soon as you can."

"I-I will."

* * *

In the Hogwarts Express, Harry was talking to the future members of his study group. The train still hadn't stopped.

* * *

Remus Lupin snored softly, dreaming of a primal forest, where the wolf could run to its heart's desire without harming anybody.

* * *

At Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore was very busy, arranging a visit to the Department of Mysteries. For the first time in who knew how many years, he would end up missing the Welcoming Feast, and more importantly, the Sorting.

* * *

At another compartment, two bodies materialized slowly. Both were thirteen years old. One belonged to a Japanese teenage male, with almond shaped face, short brown hair, and eyes blue as sapphires. The other belonged to an exotically beautiful girl, with very pale skin, short blue hair, and crimson eyes.

A _Notice-Me-Not Charm_ manifested by itself on the door, ensuring no entity, living or not, would enter the compartment.

The bodies were unnaturally still. Not a single muscle moved. They didn't even breath.

They were not dead. They simply awaited for a soul to animate them. Had any wizard or witch seen the bodies, they would have thought they had been victims of a Dementor's Kiss.

* * *

During the trip to England, Misato and the pilots reviewed the training regimen they had used during their time in NERV, adapting them to take magic use into account.

"Remember, I'll always be an owl away." Misato shook her head, "Or a phone call away, if you can find a phone. This thing about using owls will take some time to get used to… I´ll try to get a mobile phone in the meanwhile, and will send you guys the number as soon as I can. Memorize it."

"Major Katsuragi," Rei asked, "What will you be doing while Shinji and I attend Hogwarts?"

"Ah," she smiled like a cat, "I am not really sure at the moment, I need to learn the lay of the land before making more definitive plans. I also need to be as discrete as possible. I will need Harry to introduce me to his Godfather. A good chunk of my own plans will depend on what he and Harry are already doing with Shinji's info. We want to surprise our enemies, after all."

Shinji nodded. "We thought the key would be an economic take-over. The Death Eaters are mostly rich. And they use their money as a weapon. If they lose their resources, they will lose a lot of their power."

Misato's lips almost disappeared. "Not a bad idea. Especially if they lose that money to _our side_. Any resource we take from them is even more valuable if we can use it against them instead. But…" she leaned back on her seat. "That will have some consequences we will have to deal with. I hope our guys have not done something too rash. I want to add some contingences to our final plans."

They kept on talking for a good while.

* * *

The train finally stopped; the trio descended the car. "Okay, now what?" Misato looked around.

Shinji took a ticket from his shirt pocket, and studied it for a moment. "It glows when I point it at that gate. That must be our exit."

The group crossed the gate, and suddenly, they found themselves in a strange landscape. It was full of simple objects, like toys, tools, notebooks, pens and pencils, frying pans.

"Shinji? Where the hell are we?"

"I don't know! This looks like…" He looked around, frowning, and picked up a notebook. "I have an idea." He opened the notebook, flipping the pages quickly. "Check the other notebooks. Look for the name of the owner."

Rei was the first one to find it. She read the text on the first page, awkwardly written with a hesitant hand, " _This notebook belongs to Harry Potter. St. Grogory's Primary School_."

"Same with these. Why are Harry Potter's books here?" Misato had a notebook in each hand, showing both to Shinji and Rei.

" **They belong to him**." Shinji's voice answered. " **It is you who don't belong here.** "

Shinji gasped, and stumbled backwards, falling on his bum. "Wha..?"

Shinji helped Shinji to get up, while Misato watched the scene, not believing her eyes. "Shinji? Who is that and why does he looks exactly like you?" She pointed at the newcomer with her wand, ready to attack should the other boy make any vaguely threatening move.

" **Pleased to meet you, Shinji. I guess they are friends of yours? I am a kind of split personality in Harry's mind. I tend to and organize his mindscape**." He waved a hand expansively, indicating the whole place.

Rei looked at the other Shinji, studying him. "You don't move like the real Shinji."

The teenager shrugged, " **Well, that's true. I'm a bit of an idealized version of him. Harry imagined me.** " The newcomer smiled. It was radically different from the shy smile Shinji had. This smile was fully open, reaching his eyes easily.

A wave of cold spread all over the mindscape. " **Something is happening."** Other Shinji said. **"The Dementor!** "

Real Shinji paled. "It's here? We are in the train, right?"

Other Shinji looked around, and grabbed Shinji's arm. " **Hurry! We must do something!** " He ran away, dragging Shinji behinds him. For a moment, Misato and Rei looked at each other, and followed the two Shinjis an instant later.

After a short run, they found a place where a bright light illuminated a grove. A small, dark blot tried to cover the light. Its tendrils were like roots, penetrating the light sphere. Over them, something that looked like a swirling tornado made of storm clouds tried to absorb both the light and the blot.

Shinji realized what they were seeing. "The Horcrux! Hurry! Help me! That thing over us must be the Dementor trying to eat Harry's soul! But if we free the Horcrux, the Dementor will eat it instead of Harry's soul!"

"That's Harry's soul?" Misato asked, not believing she was looking directly to the soul of another human being.

Shinji planted his feet firmly on the ground, and pulled at the dark tendrils, snapping a few. "Misato! Rei! Help me!"

An echo of Lily Potter's voice filled the air, begging, pleading, " _Not Harry, not Harry, please, not Harry!_ "

 _"PUSH HARDER!"_ Shinji grunted. Even Other Shinji struggled to help, but being a part of Harry, he could not add much to the fight; the Horcrux had been feeding from Harry's magic for a very long time, and the mental construct was made of that same energy.

Rei pushed at the dark mass from below, using all her strength to push it off from the light. Her hands passed right through the sphere of light as if it wasn't there, but had no problems to grab the dark tendrils, and rip them off from Harry Potter's soul. _"Major, rip those threads, I will rip the ones on my side. Shinji, keep pushing."_

The mass of shadow resisted their tries, the tendrils trying to warp themselves around the light, but the three kept on pushing, ripping the dark lines one after another. Suddenly, the blot's last few tendrils were ripped to shreds, and the tornado above absorbed it eagerly, before shaking impossibly with a mighty, desperate roar. The whole landscape shook.

* * *

The next instant, Rei and Shinji awoke inside a train compartment, they both looked like they were thirteen years old again. For a moment, they looked at each other. "Major Katsuragi?" Rei asked. A ghostly image of Misato appeared in the seat, "I'm okay, I am at Hogwarts, right at the gates. I will wait for you inside." The image disappeared.

Shinji looked at his suddenly smaller hands. "Well… Rei, are you ready for school?"

"I am looking forward to it." She smiled. It was not the shy, small smile she had shown him after the Fight Angel's destruction. Somehow, the pale-skinned former Evangelion pilot seemed more alive than ever.

"You know something, Rei..? So do I." Shinji put his head back, and fell asleep. Rei followed him a moment later.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another compartment, Professor Remus Lupin had returned from his talk with the driver. The train had already begun to move again. They would arrive to Hogsmeade soon.

Hermione looked at him anxiously, holding Harry's hand in hers, she seemed to be about to cry, but still controlling herself. "Professor? Harry… He is unconscious!" The other students surrounded Harry, Neville added, "We were talking, and he just… he just s-slid back onto the seat…"

A cold sweat appeared on Remus Lupin's forehead. He controlled himself, loosened Harrt´s tie, and opened his robe to let him breathe more easily. He ran a quick series of diagnostic spells on Harry. He studied the results, and sighed with relief. "He's just sleeping. Let's make sure he's comfortable." He looked around. "Let's give him some air. If you have other compartments, please go there, I will watch over him." Hermione stayed on her seat. Ginny seemed to be about to argue, but Neville shook his head. "Professor Lupin is right, Ms. Weasley. We won't help Harry if we stay here." He looked at Lupin. "Sir? I…" he hesitated for a moment, gathered his wits, and continued, with a firmer voice. "In the name of House Longbottom, I respectfully ask to be updated on Heir Potter's health. Should he need anything, please tell me. I'll contact my Grandmother to make any arrangements needed."

Lupin nodded solemnly. "I will do so, Heir Longbottom."

Neville bowed, "Thank you, sir," and escorted the other students to their respective compartments. The compartment shrank back to its original size once the other students had left. Undoubtedly, the events would be in the Hogwarts Rumour Mill before the Welcoming Feast even began.

Once alone with Harry and Hermione, he ran a second series of spells, "He's just tired. Somehow, his magical core shows signs of overuse. He will only need some rest. As soon as the train stops, I will call Madam Pomphrey."

Hermione's sigh of relief was deep and long. "Thanks you, Professor. I was so scared…" She leaned back, and closed her eyes for a moment. "Can I stay with him?"

"I'll ask Poppy, it is a medical issue, and she has the last word." He breathed deeply, and suddenly he realized something he had not noticed in all the excitement.

A familiar smell clung to Harry Potter's clothes. A smell he knew very well from his youth. A smell like wet dog, a wet dog that had been running through grass. It was very faint but it was there.

Sirius Black.

_Sirius Black?_

Lupin inhaled deeply for a second time. Now, he found a second smell, even fainter than Sirius'.

No, it was impossible!

The man had been dead for over a decade! But the faint smell was not easily mistaken. Rodent and musty wood shavings.

It was the smell of a particular rat animagus, Peter Pettigrew!

Remus Lupin shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. _'It can't be! I must be going mad! It can't be! If Sirius Black had been close enough to Harry for his smell to linger on his clothes, he would have killed him!'_ He shook his head _. 'And how could he have been close to Peter? He's dead! All that remained of him was a finger! And it was buried a long time ago!'_

For a moment, he considered on asking Dumbledore about what that could mean, but then he would put his job as a teacher on the line. No. He must surely be mistaken. Olfactory hallucinations were rare, but they existed. The best he could do was simply to watch over Harry. He took a decision. ' _Tomorrow_ , _I'll check all the secret passages. If Sirius tries to enter Hogwarts, I'll kill the traitor!_ '

Lupin kept his silence for the rest of the trip.

* * *

_**Arrivals** _

* * *

_(Text in parenthesis is in French)_

* * *

_**Hogsmeade Train Stop** _

"Firs' Years to me! Firs' Years to me!" Hagrid's voice cut easily through the air at Hogsmeade Station. A slight rain tried to damp the spirits of everybody around.

Soon he was surrounded by a gaggle of eleven years old boys and girls, some Pureblooded, some not. Plus two taller students who were immediately the target of a lot of staring. Both for being foreginers, and because of the unusual looks of the girl, with her blue hair and red eyes. The younger children left a big space between them and the pair. It would take the boy a while to figure out the reason, and that it could pose some problems for them later on.

"Yeh seem a bit tall fer Firs'Years, don' yer think?" the half-giant questioned the pair with good humour. "Yeh muss be the Ikari kids. Shinji an' Rei, rite? Follow me, and we will get yeh sorted with the kiddies, no problem at all."

Rei followed Hagrid without hesitation, followed an instant later by a surprised Shinji. "Uh, Hagrid? How do you know us?"

Hagrid tapped the side of his nose, "We had a nice chat with yer friend, Miss Ka'suragi, Professor Flitwick an' meself. She is waiting for yeh in the castle. A'll be bringing her back here after the Sorting. Nice lass she is." He nodded to himself. "Now, get on the boats, and a'll be seeing yeh at the dock. No more than four fer boat, remember dat, it is impor'ant."

Before Shinji could add anything, a curious group descended from the train, watched with undisguised interest.

On front, Hermione Granger, her bushy hair easy to recognize. After her, the floating figure of Harry Potter, apparently unconscious, his robes almost dragging on the rough floor, with his right hand wrapped in bandages; and after them, an unknown man, dressed with shabby and threadbare robes, holding his wand in his right hand, while his left was closed on the handle of an old suitcase.

One more item to fuel Hogwarts rumour mill. Especially once the students heard about the study group, and how Potter's idea had been absolutely trashed by Slytherin's Ice Queen.

Hagrid patted Shinji's shoulder, and hurried towards the group. "Proffesser? Is Harry okay? Wha'happ'ned?" his alarm was clear to everybody.

"He's just sleeping Hagrid, he…" Lupin looked around, noticing all the eyes watching. "…he just had a hard day. Will be fine once he has a nap. I'll take him to Madame Pomfrey, just in case."

"Yes, yeh do dat, take the firs' carriage." Hagrid turned towards the new students. "Okay, chil'ren! You herd the Professer! Let'em pass! We'll be in Hogwar's in no time, but let'em pass!"

Still, the children seemed glued to the floor, watching with curiosity at the floating figure. Shinji decided it was time to do something, and along with Rei, helped Hagrid to open a way for the group to pass unimpeded to the first carriage in the line.

He watched his friend being levitated to a seat, and Hermione gave him a simple nod to thank him. Her worry was clear in her face. Shyly, Shinji waved goodbye at her.

Hagrid waved his lantern too. And whispered to Shinji and Rei, "Wish ah could go wit'em." He shook his head, and directed the children to the carriages once more. "No more than four per carriage!"

Once the carriage left, the reality of the situation finally settled on his mind. He was to be a student at Hogwarts! He turned back to the carriages, finally noticing the big black skeletal horses that pulled them. Carefully, he raised a hand, and caressed the muzzle of one. The gentle beast pushed gently at his hand, asking for more. Slowly, Shinji smiled.

Next to him, Rei waited patiently.

Finally, Shinji broke his reverie, and he guided Rei to the pier where Hagrid was busy supervising the new students getting in the boats. "I wonder if he will be okay."

"He's fine." His sister answered with both certainty and a bit of emotion in her usually even voice. He followed her to the boats.

They boarded the last boat, there were no more First Years, so they were alone in the boat. Rei sat primly, and folded her hands on her lap. A stray gust of wind messed with their hair. Distractedly, Rei moved the short strands of hair on her forehead, making sure they were evenly spaced, but the ends refused to cooperate.

* * *

_**Ministry of Magic  
Department of Mysteries  
Hall of Prophecies** _

"You don't know how thankful I am to be allowed into the Hall of Prophecies with so short notice, Saul, my boy."

"Well… I must admit I am somewhat curious about this new prophecy you are looking for, Dumbledore." An indistinct figure walked next to the Supreme Mugwump. "So, how much did you hear of it."

"Just the last bit, I fear I was out of hearing distance when Sybill started. I only got to hear the very end." Dumbledore lied fluently. And recited the last two lines of the prophecy, _"Old chains that bind us, by them they will break. Forever the world shall change at their wake."_

As they walked along the unending rows of crystal spheres, Croaker examined the tags, looking for the most recent crystal ball. "Interesting. No clue of when that would be?"

"None at all. You know how difficult it is to interpret a prophecy."

"Indeed. So what do you expect to find?"

"Um… well… I hope to see to whom it may concern. Even the initials would be helpful."

"I see." Croaker stopped abruptly. "Here we are. This one." He pointed at a crystal ball that had made itself some space, by the simple expedience of pushing away the other spheres to the side. Almost as if it wanted to be seen.

Dumbledore adjusted his half-moon spectacles, and read the tag:

" _S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D._  
 _H.J.P., I.S., K.M., A.R._  
 _Harry Potter, Unknown, Unknown, Unknown, Wizarding Britain_ "

While Dumbledore was trying to supress a shudder, Croaker also read the tag. "Hmm…" he said. "It seems young Mister Potter has yet another prophecy thrown onto his shoulders. You should bring him here so we can do some tests. Maybe these are not the only two prophecies pertaining him."

After a moment, he tightened his fists. "I hope the 'A.R.' is not Augustus Rookwood. That disgrace to this department should have been sent through the Veil."

"He is still in Azkaban, is he not?"

"And may he rot in there." Croaker spat. "I.S., may be Isaac Savage, an Auror in good standing." (1)

"Might be. I'll have to make some time to talk to him, see if he knows something." As he spoke, Dumbledore was running names in his memory, looking for matches, not only of the initials, but also for the descriptions of the subjects of the prophecy. A kind berserker, a disciple of Dyonissus, a thrice-born maiden. Now, that last would be very hard to interpret. Maybe a muggleborn? He didn't have to be a seer to know that that night he would enjoy very little sleep… He decided to stay a bit longer, and see what the Unspeakable would come up with. He knew two Hestias himself, Hestia Jones, and Hestia Carrow. He would do his best to make sure Potter wouldn't meet Jones; fortunately, Carrow was notoriously hard to approach, along with her twin sister, Flora. There was very little chance Potter would even talk to her, with her being a Slytherin for starters..

Croaker kept on looking at the simple tag hanging from the prophecy stand. "K.M.? No name with those initials comes to mind at the moment."

Dumbledore took mental notes, although he was unsure about the _Unknown_ text on the tag. Would that mean it pertained to people unknown in Wizarding Britain? Or that they themselves would be unaware of their role in the prophecy being fulfilled? Or simply, that Potter would not get to know them in person?

Weirder things had happened.

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Main Gate  
Some Time Before** _

Misato Katsuragi had stood in front of the main gate for several minutes, after pulling the ridiculously ornate knocker ("Hasn't these people ever heard of ringbells?"). She waited impatiently until heavy footsteps signalled the arrival of somebody in the staff. "At last!" she whispered, turning back to the gate. "I've been waiting ages here!"

"Now, jus' who would yeh be, Miss?" a rumbling voice came from somewhere above Misato.

Behind the gate there was a strange, hairy wall, that she could swear wasn't there a minute before.

She looked up.

And up.

And up.

And up, until she found a tangled black beard that framed a face. Well, at least two black eyes and a somewhat bulbous nose.

"Ah, you must be Mister Hagrid, right? The Groundskeeper?" Good thing Shinji had told her about the main characters in the books, as she hadn't read them back in their universe. She only knew bits and pieces overheard from random conversations.

"Jus' Hagrid, Miss. Who are yeh?" There was a kind curiosity in those eyes. A big hand scratched his forehead.

Misato smiled at him, the type of smile that had gotten her a lot of free drinks back in college. "Misato Katsuragi, Hagrid, pleased to meet you." her voice held a slight Japanese accent. She had worked hard at erasing it, but had found during her stint with the UN forces that sometimes it was a little advantage to be seen as an exotic foreigner, or as a gullible fool.

Or both. So she had carefully cultivated a stereotypical Japanese accent. However, she could manage to speak with New York, London, and generic Australian accents. One of her favourite memories was of getting a few annoying classmates in trouble by calling them by phone and weaving intricate, yet plausible stories, convincing them to be in the worst place at the worst moment. Socially speaking. No physical harm had been done, but their social standing had plummeted after a trip to a bar called The Blue Oyster. (2)

"I come from Japan. I'm here to make sure my two wards arrive safe and sound to your fine institution." She unfurled a scroll, and gave it to Hagrid. The half-giant took a long time to read it. "It was a bit of a last minute thing, but I trust you'll find everything is in order."

"Transser studen's?" Hagrid scratched his forehead again, as he read the scroll. "Been a long time since we ha' one o' those. Less two o' them. At least, so sudd'nly." He commented, opening the gate, and letting Misato in. he motioned for her to follow him. "Be better if we go inside, Miss. There's Dementors around, but they can't enter Hogwarts itself." Hagrig closed the gate after Misato, looking at the sky with mistrust.

Once inside, Misato continued, walking briskly after the half-giant. "Indeed, I hate those things. Anyway, as I was saying, we arrived recently. My two wards and myself have been sent to learn the ways of your beautiful country; and if there is a chance, to establish trade between our clan's enterprises and yours. For mutual benefit, of course."

"Ye'll have to see the Min'stry for dat, Miss… …Ka'suragi?" Hagrid hesitated, both on the correct pronunciation of the small foreigner's name, and on exactly who would be on charge of such stuff. "I ha' not'ing to do with dat."

"I know, I know. As I said, I'm just here to make sure my wards arrive safe and sound, and to see what kind of welcome they get. Part of my duties as part of the Ikari Clan." She decided on letting Hagrid get away with mangling her surname.

The fact that the real Ikari Clan in this world had been almost wiped out in a trade dispute some years before actually would help her cover, should (or rather, when), they were investigated was a big advantage Misato planned on using as much as possible.

She continued, "Now, I know you have your own duties to attend, I promise I won't make a nuisance of myself. I'll just stand in a corner, watch my kids arrive and be sorted, and I'll be in my merry way, and out of your… how do you Brits say? Out of your beard?"

"Outta mah hair, miss." Hagrid rubbed his nose for a moment. "Tis a bit arregular, but I guess dere won' be any harm on lettin' ya stay for a liddle while."

A few moments later, Hagrid introduced Misato to Professor Flitwick, as Professor McGonnagal would be busy during the sorting. The two immediately began to talk about charms. Misato's magical knowledge corresponded to the one her double in this universe had before her demise. And she had been an avid student of several different schools of magic.

It was a nice way to pass the time until the kids arrived, and also allowed her to know one of the best teachers at Hogwarts. The fact the Professor was extremely short was soon forgotten. The half-goblin was a nice person to talk with, and soon they were chatting like old friends.

* * *

_**Hogwarts Hospital Wing** _

"This soon? Not even after the Welcoming Feast?"

"This time it was not Harry's fault, Madam Pomfrey." Hermione argued.

"This I have to hear." Madame Pomfrey retorted, while Remus Lupin maneuvered Harry to the diagnostic table.

"Well…" he hesitated. "There was a Dementor…"

"What? Where, Mr. Lupin?" She gasped.

"In the train, it got to.. um… Harry's compartment, and attacked him. I was about to…"

"Later, Mr. Lupin. Right now, I want to examine my patient. Speak while I cast the diagnostic charms. And you, Miss Granger, sit outside, and be quiet. Mr. Potter doesn't seem to be in any immediate danger."

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey." Hermione obeyed the Matron's instructions.

Poppy listened to Lupin's tale while she studied her diagnostics charms. She agreed with Lupin's initial diagnostics. "Yes. I can confirm Mr. Potter has almost depleted his magical reserves. He just needs some rest. He also has some cold burns in his right hand, I'll apply some ointment and he will be fine by tomorrow morning. Good thing you had some chocolate at hand, or I would be treating him for Dementor exposure."

"To be honest, Harry had his own chocolate."

Once she had made sure Harry was resting comfortably, she dismissed Lupin with a simple, "Now, go to the Feast, young man. It wouldn't do for you to miss your first Feast as a certified professor." Lupin nodded. "And send Miss Granger here, I'd like to talk to her."

* * *

_**France  
French Pyrenees  
Académie de Magie Beauxbâtons  
** _

"(Good morning, students.)" Mme. Arsenau greeted her first class of the day. The thirteen years old students respectfully listened to their Arithmancy teacher. "(Today, we welcome a transfer student into our noble institution.)"

The girls in the classroom looked at each other for a moment, but neither spoke a single word.

"(You may come in, dear.)"

A tall girl strutted in the classroom, full of pride. She bowed to the girls with whom she would work and study. "(Good morning to all. I hope we can all be good friends.)". She spoke with a slight German accent. Turning to the blackboard, the new student used her wand to direct piece of chalk to write her name in elegant letters. Once it had been written, she put her wand back into her pocket, twirling it with a flourish, and smiled at the group. Her long red hair swayed at her back in a long ponytail.

"(My name is Asuka Langley Soryu. Charmed to meet you.)"

* * *

_**Author Notes:** _

(1) There´s an Auror with the surname Savage, but his given name isn't revealed. I just thought Isaac Savage sounds good.

(2) Yep, that very same bar from the Police Academy movies.

* * *

The original inspiration for the mind-Shinji was an old book of… not sure how to call it, it was supposedly self-help, but so weird I doubt it would have been even remotely practical. Uh, back on point, it was a book about developing one's mind, "The Power of Alpha Thinking", or something similar. I remember that the reader was directed to create a mindscape; and at a sufficiently advanced level, add a guardian. A representation of the owner's spirit. Therefore, the Guardian wouldn't ever be harmful. In some ways, it was like a muggle handbook on Occlumency.

The effect on Harry's mindscape has been quite clear, Mind-Shinji keeps things neat and clean under the surface, protecting Harry's mind from casual readings. The true mind palace is safely hidden in plain sight. He is also in charge of selecting and playing the music Sirius suggested.

* * *

I have plans for Lupin. I hope to have him see the light at the end of the tunnel as the locomotive light it is, before he does a Coyote. I think Lupin's smarts were never truly directed to where they should have. Sure, he was a good planner, but never questioned things beyond 'How can we do this prank work'?

Some judiciously smart manoeuvring should break him out of his conditioning. And that will include some hard questions he will have to answer. For himself.

McGonagall on the other hand, is too close to Dumbledore to be effectively swayed unless an Impact-Level event is involved.


	15. Chapter 15

_**In the Meanwhile/** _ _**The Sorting of Two (and a Few More)** _

* * *

_**In the Meanwhile** _

* * *

"Ah, I think that was the last one, Dobby." Sirius Black put both hands at the base of his back, and pushed forward, arching his spine until he heard a series of popping noises. He blew a satisfied breath. "Ooohhhh… I needed that."

Dobby raised a finger. "Um… Master Harry Potter's Dogfather…" he said hesitantly.

"Just Sirius, Dobby; or Dogfather if you like. After all you´ve done for Harry and me, we can dispense with formalities."

"Master Harry´s Dogfather grants Dobby a great honour." The house elf rubbed his arm, looking shyly at Sirius.

"We are friends, Dobby. You can always speak freely to Harry or myself."

"Oh, well… yes… Dobby meant to tell Dogfather that Dogfather only finished with Master Harry´s documents of Potter family. Dogfather´s Black family documents still in pile, waiting."

Sirius's face contorted in a grimace. "Yeah, you're right. I meant I had finished with the Potter pile." A mischievous smile crossed his lips, and added, "Harry has top priority, of course."

Dobby nodded enthusiastically. "Master being First, yes, he being!"

"I think we can leave things like this for tomorrow." Tiredly, Sirius rubbed his eyes. "I'm gonna need a long vacation." He sat back on the plush chair, and leaned back until he could put his feet on the elaborate desk of rare woods. He loved to do that, if only to imagine the disapproval in the face of his mother.

"Will Dogfather be eating this dinner here?" Dobby asked.

"How about we two eat at the balcony? I'd like some company."

"Master Harry´s Dogfather being a great and generous wizard to want to be eating with a lowly house-elf…" Dobby whispered.

"Lowly? No, Dobby, I want the company of a friend, and after all you risked for Harry, you certainly are one. I'll help you to carry the stuff there if you'd like."

"No, no. Not being proper. Dobby takes thing there, that Dobby´s work."

"Very well," Sirius sighed. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. "What about our guest? How´s the rat? Did you fed him the nutrient potions? We don't want him to die on us, after all."

"Traitorous Rat wizard has his Potions half an hour ago, and is now redoing the past."

"That's the only line I'd like to steer him away, but that's the most important." Sirius shrugged. "He doesn't deserve a second chance, even if it's imaginary."

* * *

"Uh… I need to talk to you guys, in private." The small, somewhat pudgy boy mumbled towards his friends, eyes low on the ground and looking as if he would prefer to be in literally, any other place.

"Sure, what do you want to talk about? Have you finally set your eyes on a girl or what?" Sirius asked crassly, slapping his friend´s shoulder.

"No." Peter Pettigrew answered miserably. "I need to make a confession, to you three, to Lily, and to Headmaster Dumbledore."

James Potter closed his book, and straightened on his seat, elbowing their other friend in the process. "Remus, go get Lily, tell her to meet us at Dumbledore's office in five minutes," the young werewolf smiled and ran immediately to fulfill his mission. "Now, it seems very serious. Shut your trap, Sirius." He added before his almost brother could make his favorite pun. "Now, whatˋs eating your hat, Peter?"

"I will tell you once we are all at the Headmaster´s office. It is very bad. But I don't want it to get worse." He seemed to grow some steel in his backbone. Like finally, his Gryffindor courage had found its place in his heart.

* * *

At the Leaky Cauldron, a middle-aged man carefully nursed his food and drink. Bernard Cribbins, Potion Master, had just received notice that his services were no longer required. Once again, a pure-blood had replaced him in the workforce. The fact that he was a muggleborn from a relatively poor family always was the heaviest factor on how long he could keep a job. Well… at least his immediate boss had been generous with his last payment.

Bernard had some money saved for this kind of emergency, and as it wasn't the first time it had happened, he already had some experience stretching his resources.

He signaled Tom for an extra piece of bread, the innkeeper nodded back. Bernard leaned back on his hard chair, tapping his fingers on the table for a few heartbeats. He kept on eating his soup, slowly, to both making it last and to make sure his digestion wouldn't be disturbed.

The bread arrived, and Bernard thanked Tom with a simple nod, as he had his mouth full at the moment.

While he ate half of the new loaf of bread, he was already composing introductory letters to other potential employers. He hoped to be hired soon, but realistically, he knew it would take time to find an employer who could either look beyond his muggleborn status, or really needed a Potion Master. Even with the recommendation letter he had.

He was somewhat reluctant to ask for help from his old Potions teacher, but if there was a wizard who could help him find a decent job, it was Horace Slughorn.

He would just have to find some extravagant gift for him later.

Bernard shook his head, ande began to write the letter to Slughorn.

* * *

Chiara Lobosco walked around the docks, looking for some work. She had striking grey hair and wide shoulders. She also had a nice brain inside her head. Sadly, that brain was wasted on the Wizarding World.

For you see, Chiara Lobosco was a Werewolf.

That meant that despite never having done any harm to anybody, she was not a person.

She was a creature.

A Dark Creature.

Dangerous and unfit to live among the fine, upstanding citizens of Magical Britain.

She couldn't have a job.

It didn't matter she always locked herself during those awful full moon nights.

That whenever she had the chance to pay for it, she drank that disgusting Wolfsbane Potion and spent the nights in almost senseless torpor.

No.

That she always tried to be a good person didn't matter to them.

She shook her head to settle her hair, and once again, like many other weres or muggleborn, she turned to the Muggle world in search of a job.

Sadly, a regular, normal job was out of her reach, despite her smarts and knowledge. There were not many employers who would be forgiving enough to let her take several days per month off without a very good explanation.

And any explanation that included lycanthropy was by its very definition, not good.

As it would probably get her a one way ticket to Bedlam, with the eventual breaching of the Statute of Secrecy when she transformed inside the mental asylum.

So, the best Chiara Lobosco could aspire was occasional manual labor gigs.

Unless things changed.

A lot.

* * *

_**The Sorting of Two (and a Few More)** _

* * *

_**The Black Lake  
Last Boat in the Line** _

"Oh, no!" Shinji gasped, "I forgot completely!"

Calmly, Rei looked at him, "Should we return?"

"No, no. Sorry, It´s just that I didn't realize it. I am so used to it, I didn't see it could cause trouble in here!" He was getting frankly agitated.

Intrigued, Rei blinked twice, "Explain, please."

"Your eyes." He looked down. "Here in Magical Britain, red eyes are thought of as the mark of an evil wizard or witch. Voldem… I mean, You-Know-Who, had them. And the people here tend to act on whatever thought they have in their heads at the moment. Very easy to influence. They will hate you for the colour of your eyes, Rei."

"I hate it too." She said softly. "I hate the colour red. I always have. It makes me feel angry. I don't really know why." Her crimson eyes fixed themselves on Shinji´s blue eyes. "I would very much prefer to share your own shade." She closed her eyes, raising her head. "But if they don't accept me for it, so be it. I am used to be alone. And I will defend myself if there is the need."

Shinji took her hand in his. "I will do my best to protect you, Rei."

She looked directly ahead, "I know you will."

A little bit of magic flowed around the bluenette, unnoticed by the two ex-pilots.

A gust of wind swept over the boat, once again messing with Rei´s hair. This time, a couple of strands refused to settle down in their places. One of them stuck up like a very short ahoge (1) in top of her head. Shinji noticed it, and privately took it as a good omen.

* * *

_**Hogwarts** _

Everything was just as Shinji had pictured it in his mind. The castle, full of twinkling lights, the imposing gate and entrance. Even Professor McGonaghall, the stern looking witch who was the Professor of Transfiguration, Head of Gryffindor, and practically Headmistress, judging by the amount of administrative work Dumbledore dumped on her.

The whispers of the children around them had increased in frequency and intensity. He tried to listen to them, to prepare himself for the rumours, but the only clear thing he got was something like "I´m telling you, she doesn´t!" but they moved away, and he lost track of the answer.

He shrugged internally, while they waited to be called for the sorting. Suddenly, Rei tapped at his shoulder, looking at the opposite side of the Great Hall. Standing there, a very familiar witch waved enthusiastically at them, her face framed by a purple mane. Shinji waved back at Misato, relieved to see her, watching over he and Rei.

Professor McGonaghal´s stood at the elaborate lectern, "Welcome, students. We are about to start a new school year, and I have a few announcements before we begin. First, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore is absent tonight, as he had to tend to a very urgent matter at the Ministry of Magic, he will be back later today, or early tomorrow. Second, due to the escape of Sirius Black," her lips thinned into a barely perceptible line, "from Azkaban, the Ministry has decided to station new guards around Hogwarts, in order to capture him." Her facial expression showed to Shinji exactly what she thought of such a measure, and of Sirius. She paused a second before continuing. "These guards are Dementors." A wave of whispers ran through the tables. "Silence!" the witch hissed, and the whisperings ended almost immediately.

"Dementors are terribly dangerous creatures. No one is to leave the school grounds for any reason, as it is impossible to argue with them. They are stationed at every entrance, and only specially trained Ministry wizards can control them once they are on the hunt. I trust I have made clear just how dangerous they are. I understand they visited the Hogwarts Express, causing an incident."

Malfoy elbowed Goyle, smiling, "Yeah, Potter fainted!" He laughed.

McGonaghal stared at the Slytherin until his smile fell down from his face. "Mr. Falfoy, your conduct is unbecoming of a Hogwarts student. Two points from Slytherin." She looked around, her gaze seemed to stare in every pair of eyes for a moment. Finally, when she thought her message had been understood, she continued.

"Next, I want to introduce our new Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts, Professor Remus Lupin." There were a few applauses for a shabbily dressed man, but Shinji didn´t miss the grimace in Snape´s face. The man coveted the post, though Shinji didn´t really know why, Snape was not a person who actually enjoyed teaching.

The stern witch spoke again, "And our new Care for Magical Creatures, our own Rubeus Hagrid; as Professor Kettleburn has decided to retire,"

The announcement was received with much more enthusiasm, as most of the students held Hagrid in good steem. The exception being Slytherin House.

"Now, before the Welcoming Feast begins, the new students will be sorted into their respective houses." She put the old and battered Sorting Hat on the stool, and a moment later, the hat began to sing. Shinji wasn't paying attention to its song, worried abut the treatment his sister would receive.

"Ayanami, Rei!"

She was the first or second student to be sorted. A wabe of whisperings spread through the House Tables. McGonagall explained, "Miss Ayanami will be sorted as a Third Year, she is an exchange student, coming from the prestigious Mahoutokoro School of Magic. Sit here, Miss Ayanami."

Rei complied, and a moment later, the Sorting Hat was put on her head.

* * *

"My, my, my. Now, you are a very interesting individual, Miss Ayanami." The voice of the Sorting Hat rang inside Rei´s mind. "I have never had the pleasure to Sort anybody coming from other world, much less a completely different plane of existence. You are almost too much."

Rei kept silent. The Hat elaborated, "Hmm… let me see… Hmm… You are a walking enigma, young lady. Not an easy life, no, no, no. But let´s sort you, shall we? Hmm… Loyal enough to undo a life of control in the name of friendship. And yet, Hufflepuff is not your House. Your loyalty is not granted easily, no. Maybe Gryffindor? Could be said you were more than brave enough, fighting those abominations. Ah… no. You didn´t fight them on your own initiative, I can see that. You followed the orders of another. Heh, heh… You are not making this easy for me, but I do enjoy a challenge. Ravenclaw would probably fit you better, but you won´t accumulate knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Everything you learn will have a purpose. Slytherin then? Ow! Please! There is no need to be aggressive, young lady! I am just doing my job!" The Hat flinched slightly, to the surprise of the witnesses.

"Ah, I see… you want to learn a very different thing than most students. Good, good. It will be interesting to see you the next years, young heir of Lilith. For I have decided to put you in _**RAVENCLAW**_!"

A moderate applause followed the Hat´s decision. Rei stood while her robes changed colour to match her new House; took the Hat, and put it back on the stool. She nodded silently to Professor McGonagall, and walked towards the Ravenclaw table. She soon found an empty place, next to a small, blond witch. "May I sit here?"

The witch smiled airily at her, sliding a bit to make some more space. "You are welcome! You have very few Nargles. I am Luna Lovegood."

Rei smiled slightly at the small witch, and sat on the bench. "That is always good to know, Miss Lovegood."

* * *

_**Ministry of Magic  
Department of Mysteries  
Unspeakables Offices** _

"Well, Saul, my boy. I thank you for your help. And for the tea." Dumbledore´s eyes sparkled. He cast a quick Tempus, seeing that his visit to the Ministry had taken too long. "I think it should be better to retire for the night. I have much to ponder."

Croaker nodded, "True, so do I. I will check on a few individuals, maybe we can help narrow the search."

* * *

**_Hogwarts_ **

When Shinji´s turn came, he hesitated a moment, before following the instructions. He duly sat on the stool, waiting for the Hat to do its job.

"Unclench your soul, Mister Ikari. I can assure you I will do my best. That's better. Now, I saw some amazing things in your sister´s mind, and yours is also a tangle of contradictions, but trust me. I wont do a half-assed job, even if you stall me for a while. "

Shinji nodded, still worried.

"Well, lets discard Slytherin right now. Your ploy to help Mister Potter was cunning indeed, but no. Your ambitions are simple. In fact, are quite alike to Mister Potter. Anonymity and peace. Yes. Hmm… Ravenclaw? No, much as I told your sister, you don´t accumulate knowledge, sending you to the House of the Eagles would do nothing for your peace of mind. You´d perhaps better suited to Hufflepuff… After all, you have loyally followed Mister Potter to a different world. That requires a lot of courage. You are braver than you think, Mister Ikari. And you will be much more able to help Mister Potter if I send you to _**GRYFFINDOR**_!"

Shinji felt how the Hat was taken from his head. "You may go to your new House, Mister Ikari." McGonagall said softly.

Shinji saw his robes change to Gryffindor colours, and exchanged a quick look with Rei. She nodded minutely.

It might have been a trick of the light, but he could have sworn her eyes were blue now.

Anyway, he walked to the Gryffindor table, and sat as far away from Ron Weasley as possible. Even when all Weasley was to him was a character in a book, he thought he would be annoying at best.

* * *

_**Author Notes:** _

* * *

Bernard Cribbins´ name comes from the Doctor Who franchise. He played Wilfred Mott, Donna Noble´s grandfather in the Fourth season, and he delivers two heartbreaking moments in the last story with the Tenth Doctor. I think his name simply fits well with Wizarding Britain. He also has the curious distinction of having been in the Doctor Who movies with Peter Cushing back in the day. 

* * *

Chiara Lobosco is a character in the Hogwarts Mystery video game. Though her name is given as Lobosca, I went with Lobosco as I searched for that name, and found several people with that surname. Lobosca only returned results for this particular character.

According to the HP Wikia, she was admitted to Hogwarts in 1984, and sorted in Hufflepuff. As I haven't played the game, and many things would have happened in the intervening years, Chiara´s personality will be mostly my doing.

* * *

An ahoge is a narrative clue in Japan. It´s a strand of hair sticking upwards from the head of a character. They can be very expressive, changing shape to form simple images. Characters with an ahoge tend to be crazy, fun, absurd. Nyaruko (from Haiyore! Nyaruko-san) is a prime example, being an alternative interpretation of one of the scariest entities in the Cthulhu Mythos. One that is crazy, fun, and absurd, and her ahoge is particularly long... If you are a fan of Lovecraft, you will either love or hate Nyaruko.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Hope is a Wonderful and Terrible Thing; Two Flashbacks.** _

* * *

_**Tokyo-3 Ruins  
Abandoned House, Ground Floor, Kitchen  
Undetermined Time after Third Impact.** _

Shinji Ikari set his meager bounty on the table. The cans of food available in the area were getting harder to find. Soon, he and Asuka would need to move somewhere else. He would have to prepare the wagon to drag their equipment to a new place, and also explore the nearby places for a mostly undamaged house.

He lit a candle. Fortunately, the supply of lighters was still very abundant. He had located a good place, an old store for smokers, that still had a fair amount of lighter fluid for the reloadable lighters.

Despite everything he had tried, the seeds he had planted had barely began to grow. He thought it was lucky there were no animals around to eat the small plants.

Third Impact had killed everything but him and Asuka.

His eyes drifted to the red-headed girl.

She was still seated at the same place, looking empty. Her eyes dull, her mouth set in the same sad gesture she had ever after those last words to him, back at the beach.

"Hi, Asuka. How are you today?" He asked the same ritual question he had asked each and every day since the world had ended.

Since he had killed the world.

And just as every day, she didn't answer. He shook his head. He would have time for regrets later. Right now, there was food to prepare.

He opened a few cans, mixed some ingredients. He would have given anything to have some fresh vegetables. A tear fell from his left eye. He wiped his face clean with a hand, before setting back to the task. He lit the camping stove.

"Today, we have some sausage and chicken soup." He said, some time later, faking an optimism he hadn't felt in what seemed to be years. He put a few plates on the table. "And for dessert, I got you chocolate. But you have to eat your dinner first."

With infinite tenderness, he cut the sausages into bite-sized pieces, and fed them to the red-head piece by piece. Despite her immobility, Asuka managed to chew and swallow her food. She responded like a machine. Still, Shinji felt a small measure of gratitude that his only companion in this dead, empty world, could at least manage to eat.

He didn't want to think he had to tend to her other hygiene needs. She managed to bathe and clean herself, but he always had to coax her for an hour before she began to move. It took her a long time, but to Shinji's relief, she dressed herself.

Once the meager food had been consumed, Shinji wiped her chin, and pulled her to the big comfy rocking chair, guiding her to sit on it.

Once he was sure she wouldn't fall off the chair, he returned to the table and ate the little food that remained. He put the plates in the sink, to wash them later.

He took the old kerosene lantern, lit it, and made his rounds. As always, he feared somebody could attack them in the night. He checked doors and windows. Everything was in order. Time to wash the plates.

Minutes later, Shinji returned to the living room, lit another candle, to save the kerosene, and pulled a book from his backpack.

He had read many books since Third Impact, handbooks about almost every practical subject he could find, looking for ways to keep himself and Asuka alive. Camping, survival, canning, first aids, medicine. Anything and everything.

This time, he was not in the mood to stick to practical matters.

Today, he decided to read some fiction. Something to take his mind away from this dead world.

He opened the book, and began to read aloud. Hearing his own voice helped him to feel just a little bit less alone.

"I hope you like it, Asuka." He said, clearing his throat. "Chapter One. The Boy-Who-Lived." He paused, "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of ..."

* * *

_**Number Four Privet Drive,  
** _ _**Little Whinging, England** _

_**  
Six Days After Returning from Hogwarts** _

"Uncle Vernon..?" Harry asked cautiously, once he saw his uncle fold down his paper. It was not a good idea to interrupt the rotund man when he was gathering complaining material for later.

"What do you want, boy?" Vernon Dursley answered sourly. There had been precious little to complain about in the news, even the editorial page had been mostly to his, admittedly voluble, liking.

"I..." Harry hesitated slightly, before remembering he was a Gryffindor and had valuable information in hand. "I have a proposal for you. I think you'll like my offer."

"Hrumph. Pfah! You don't have anything I could want." He was about to roll the paper to possibly smack Harry with it.

"Wait! I might have a way for you to stick it to the other freaks!"

That got his attention. "Hfrm! And why would you help me with that? Uh?"

Harry covered his right hand with the left, and smiled a bit. "Because just as you said, they are liars. They are up to no good. And I have finally realized you are right about them."

"You have three minutes. If you waste those three minutes, you won't be eating tomorrow and will spend the day back in the cupboard, is that clear?" He put the paper down, but within easy reach.

Harry cleared his throats. "I have realized the old white beard has been playing us like fools."

"You mean that Dumbl..."

Harry waved his hands desperately, "Don't say his name! I think he could be using that to keep an eye on us, and saying his name might alert him!" Nothing Shinji had told him while he was dead even hinted at that, but a little extra fuel to Vernon's paranoia could help a little.

Vernon's face darkened, Harry put a finger over his lips, and then tapped the side of his nose. "I may have found a way to grant you your greatest wish. As things are now, you are stuck with me until I finish school, right?"

Vernon drawled his answer, he hated to agree with the freak, on principle. "Right. D… I mean, White Beard was very insistent on that."

Harry nodded grimly. "You don't want me here. I don't want to be here. We are both in the same boat, with no help in sight, and only an unreliable guide. Agreed?"

Secretly, Vernon was somewhat impressed, but would rather go to Hell than admit it. He simply nodded fractionally.

Harry relaxed a bit. "Well, I am stuck at school until I finish my..." he injected some scorn in his next word, "education."

"Yes. All seven years of it. I know that, get to the point, boy, you are wasting time." Vernon's fingers began to tap on the table's surface, Harry knew he was getting impatient.

"What if I could finish school earlier?" The tapping stopped. Now... that was something Vernon had not considered.

"Explain."

"There are two sets of exams in the freaks' word. One at the end of Fifth Year, and another at the end of the Seventh. Normally, they are taken then, meaning I wouldn't be done with school until 1997." He leaned forward conspiratorially, and whispered, "but I can take the second set earlier than that. I still have to wait until 1995 to take the first set, but I could take the second one immediately after the first. It's not usually done, but it is perfectly legal. Once I take it, pass or fail, I will be an adult; and won't have to darken your door ever again."

"What's the catch?" Vernon's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"The catch is simple. I need your permission to study. I won't do anything freaky in your house." He raised his hands in surrender. "Theory is my weak point, I just don't have the head for it." He shrugged. "If I can study the theory, I will have a chance to have it easier with the practical stuff. But I will need to get some help. There are a few others who could help me, but you wouldn't have to meet them if I am out of the house a few hours each day. If you let me take some stuff out of my school chest, I could even practice on my weakest subject, the one that doesn't need the stick. Getting up to snuff in that would really help me to get the chance to do the final exams ahead of time."

"What about your chores? I won't be thought of as a slacker just so you can waste time away." He grumbled.

"The chores will be done, I won't be using any weird stuff to do them. But I will have to work very early or somewhat late."

Harry shut his mouth. Vernon was busy with what for him was thinking. His walrus moustache moved by itself, and his eyes were almost closed. "Are you sure you can pass those tests?"

"Completely? No. But as long as I pass the first set, it won't matter much if I fail the second. I will still be considered an adult. I'll have to try a second time, but you won't have me here. I'll stay there and won't be back to bother you."

He leaned forward and tapped the side of his nose again, "And as long as White Beard doesn't get a whiff before time, there won't be a thing he could do to stop us from parting ways two years earlier. In three years instead of five." Actually, Harry didn't know if that was the case, but if his plan to get Sirius Black free and clear worked, then he could claim guardianship of Harry and get him away from the Dursleys anyway.

Vernon tapped a finger on the table several times. Not his impatience telling sign. That was very, very good! But Harry kept his hopes under tight control.

Finally, after almost a whole minute that Harry spend almost holding his breath, Vernon spoke, "Go and make dinner, I'll discuss things with my wife later."

"Yes, Uncle Vernon. Thank you for listening." Harry left the table and began to work on the dinner.

The seed had been planted. Hopefully, it would grow and bear fruit.

* * *

_**Tokyo-3 Ruins**  
Abandoned House, Ground Floor, Kitchen  
Undetermined Time after Third Impact  
(One Hour and a Half Later)._

Shinji read aloud for a while, absorbed by the story of a child who discovered a whole new world hidden to the sight or most people. A wonderful world full of magic, with wizards and witches, kind giants and gold-obsessed goblins, reluctant heroes and evil villains, haughty bullies and humble friends.

He yawned and then looked at his watch. He had been reading for longer than he thought.

It was an old-style piece, a clockwork wristwatch. He had found it during one of his early explorations, and really appreciated that with care, it would last for a long time. He only had to wound it up before going to bed.

He closed the book and stood up.

To his surprise, Asuka had turned her head to look at him as he read, and there was a spark of interest in her eyes.

Shinji smiled, tears pooling in his eyes. "It is very late, Asuka." He said, softly. "Time to sleep. I'll read you more tomorrow, if you want me to."

To his relief, she blinked slowly, and her head moved in a barely noticeable nod.

He guided her to the large bed in the main bedroom, and tucked his companion under the sheets. She closed her eyes, her breathing slow and regular.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Asuka. Good night." He wanted to kiss her forehead, but had never dared to. The memory of his… of the hospital, always intruded.

He took the candle with him, and went to his own room.

He changed into his pajama, checked he had matches at hand, and laid down.

He blew the candle flame off, and whispered, "...Thank you, Kami..." He closed his eyes, and dreamt about Hogwarts.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Matters of Perception** _

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Great Hall  
Gryffindor Table** _

While the Sorting Hat continued with the sorting of the First Year students, Shinji sat at the Gryffindor table. He had chosen a place as far away from Ron Weasley as possible. He had to stifle a smile when he saw there was a free space between a somewhat pudgy boy, who probably was Neville Longbottom; and a dark skinned witch, whom he was almost sure was Parvati Patil.

Remembering the etiquette lessons his counterpart had received, Shinji bowed slightly to both students. Addressing Parvati, he asked. "May I seat here, Miss…?"

Her face lit up with a welcoming smile. "Patil, I'm Parvati Patil. Welcome to Gryffindor House, Mr. Ikari."

As he sat on the long bench, he smiled shyly at her, "Please, call me Shinji."

Parvati leaned back a little, and the girl to her left waved enthusiastically to Shinji. Parvati took care of the introductions. "And this is my best friend, Lavender Brown. Lavender, this is Mr. Shinji Ikari."

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Brown." Shinji waved back at her. He remembered her sad fate in the books, and promised himself to stop that future.

Lavender's eyes lit with curiosity. "New to England, Ikari?"

"Yes. But please, call me Shinji. I'm not a big fan of ceremony." He tried to show a confidence he didn't feel. "My family wants to expand our trading routes, so my sister and myself have been sent here to learn and connect."

"Sister? Oh, you mean the girl with blue hair?" Parvati asked, her brow furrowed a bit with an unasked question.

Shinji shrugged, "Well… half-sister, actually, but we are very close. If you want to meet her, I can introduce you tomorrow."

"Yeah!" Lavender exclaimed. "What kind of colouring charm does she use? That shade of blue is lovely!"

"Um… actually, that's her natural colour…"

The two friends squeaked at the same time, "No way! Really?"

"I swear it is. Just don't mention it at first, she's a bit sensitive about it, and I'm almost sure her own housemates are probably asking about it as we speak."

Both girls laughed cutely.

It was a novel experience for Shinji, and he really liked it. A small groaning noise from his belly distracted him. He could barely wait for the Feast to begin, he had a weird craving for treacle tart.

* * *

Meanwhile, several bench lengths away, the Weasley Twins held a complex and silent conversation, with only a few facial gestures. Nobody else even realized what was the subject of the talk.

Harry Potter, Padfoot Enterprises, and a bet they had rejected.

But above everything else, what should they do when Harry arrived to the table.

* * *

Neville Longbottom kept glancing at the corridor to the Hospital Wing. Sure, it was not a direct route, but it was the shortest between the Hospital and the Great Hall. When Harry arrived, he would almost surely use that corridor. He was so intent on his watch, that he missed Shinji's arrival.

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Great Hall  
Slytherin Table** _

Unknown to Neville, his watch was echoed by another student in Slytherin House. Daphne Greengrass couldn't be to obvious about it. So she threw quick glances to Neville Longbottom, Susan Bones, and occasionally, to the Patil twins.

The sorting of the two foreign students barely registered, except that the boy had started to talk to Parvati Patil, and therefore, he was distracting the Gryffindor girl from watching the corridor!

So far, none of the others had looked like they knew where Potter was. The rumour mill said that somehow, Potter had been attacked by a Dementor, and that his corpse had been levitated to the Hospital Wing for the impending Ministry enquiry. Granger's absence was a big factor for her to consider said rumour a possibility.

However, seeing the younger Weasley brother looking wistfully at the table surface, as if waiting anxiously for the food to appear was a big argument against the veracity of the rumour. Surely the boy wouldn't be so crass as to eat if his friend was injured at the Hospital.

However, in the table section he had reclaimed for himself and his sycophants, Draco Malfoy crowed happily about how Daphne had shot down the stupid inter-house study group Potter had proposed. Adding a very badly acted fainting spell. "I tell you, Potter was down cold when they levitated him out of the train! He must have fainted at the mere sight of a Dementor!"

Daphne controlled the impulse to roll her eyes at the glee Heir Malfoy showed.

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Great Hall  
Staff Table** _

Professor Remus Lupin barely paid any attention to the Sorting. His thoughts centered around the strange events in the train.

First, to think that somehow, Harry Potter had been physically close to that bloody traitor, Sirius Black, made his blood burn and freeze alternatively.

The very thought that Black had been close enough to the kid to leave his characteristic smell lingering on his clothes! He could have killed Harry! Or kidnapped him! But… why hadn't Black taken the opportunity? Why?

Whatever had happened, it must have been some time ago, the smell was barely detectable now.

And even more strange, how in the world had Harry gotten the smell of Peter Pettigrew on his clothes? If it wasn't for that, Lupin would be eager to tell everything to Dumbledore.

Poor Peter… He might not have been a powerful wizard nor a particularly brave man, but he didn't deserve to die the way Black had killed him. Leaving behind only a finger to mark his passing.

Snap!

The sudden noise brought Lupin out from his thoughts. He looked down, realizing he had cracked the wooden handle of his spoon. He relaxed his grip and looked around. Luckily for him, the noise had been drown by the applause coming from the Ravenclaw table as they received a new housemate.

Lupin released the spoon, and began to check his mental list of the secret passages the Marauders had found during their school days.

If only he had the Marauders'… …Map!

The Map!

He realized then that, as a member of the Faculty, he could order Filch to give it back! Knowing the man, the piece of apparently blank parchment might still be in the Confiscated Items collection Filch kept in his lair.

He resolved to get the Map back first thing in the morning. Right now, he wanted to check on the passages entrances he could remember by himself, just in case Black decided to get in Hogwarts through one of them.

He hoped Sirius Black was suffering cold someplace where he would be found by the Aurors, just as he deserved.

* * *

_**Black Island** _

Two companions sat at a table set on the porch of an expansive beach house, enjoying the warm marine breeze, "This is the life, my friend, this is the life! Hopefully soon, we will have Harry here too."

Smiling widely, Dobby raised his glass, full of mineral water, "Dobby can barely wait to bring Great Master here!"

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Great Hall  
Gryffindor Table** _

By the time Hermione Granger arrived to the Gryffindor Table, the Feast was abut to begin. She sat next to Ron Weasley.

"So, what took you so long, Hermione?" Ron asked, tapping impatiently his fingers on the table, eager for the Feast to begin.

She answered, her voice showing she was not in the best of moods. "Harry will stay the night at the Hospital Wing." Several Gryffindors leaned in to listen to the news. Hermione looked around, while the students asked questions, all at the same time. She raised her hands to call for silence. "He has some burns on his hand. Madame Pomfrey want to keep him there while they heal. But by then, it will be past curfew."

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Hospital Wing** _

"Well, Mr. Potter?" Madame Pomfrey asked when the young man groaned himself awake. "How are you feeling? Do I really have to set one bed for you. I can have the name plate transfigured in a few minutes, you know!"

Harry took stock of the situation before answering. "I hope it won't get to that…" he worked his tongue around his teeth, there was a strange taste in his mouth. He shrugged. "I feel a bit queasy, my hand itches like crazy and I have a bit of a headache. Otherwise, I'm fine."

"Good, the itch you feel means the ointment is working. You had minor symptoms of Dementor exposure, and cold burns on your hand, as if you had stuck it into snow for too long. Mr. Lupin told me what happened in the train, and I find hard to believe you could be so irresponsible! You should have stayed behind Professor Lupin. He knows how to deal with a Dementor." She sighed, "I would really appreciate if from now on, you refrained from putting your hands into Dementor's maws. If that's what actually happened."

"Uh… I am not really sure what happened myself. It was so fast…"

She waved her wand to cast a diagnostic charm, and studied the results for a while. "I'll keep you here until tomorrow morning. Don't look at me like that, young man. I am sure your friend will come back after the Feast. I had to shoo her away to let you rest. Now, what would you like for dinner?"

"Well…" Harry hesitated for a moment, "I feel a bit queasy… a vegetable soup would be nice, maybe some rice."

"Sensible choice, Mr. Potter. I'll bring you some in a few minutes. Try to rest, and don't scratch that hand."

Once Madame Pomfrey left the room, Harry dove into his mindscape. He passed through the messy exterior layer, and into the shabby doll house, where mind-Shinji was busy ordering Harry's thoughts and plans, while Alan Parsons Project's prelude to _Eye in the Sky_ (1) was heard in the background; it was one of the albums Sirius had him memorize as a distraction for any Legilimens who decided to try to get into Harry's mind.

Harry asked without preamble, "Was that the real Shinji or was I hallucinating?"

Mind-Shinji smiled, " **He was the real Shinji, Harry. And he had company. Take a seat and I'll get you up to date. Things are going to get interesting, I am sure of that.** "

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Great Hall  
Staff Table** _

The Welcoming Feast began a couple of minutes after the Sorting ended. Professor McGonagall reiterated her warning about the Dementor, urging the students to be prudent at any time, until Sirius Black was re-captured and the Dementors withdrawn from Hogwarts.

In the side corridor, Misato Katsuragi signalled Shinji. He nodded back at her. Their agreed signals that everything was running according to the plan. She waved at Hagrid, who excused himself from the table. "Prefesser McGonagall, Ah need to run an errand. Ah'll be back soon. Ah'll take one of da por'keys to Hogsmeade."

The Tranfiguration teacher asked, "What? Why now?"

Hagrid shuffled his enormous feet. "Well… yah see… we had a visitor earlier, tha' wee gel in da corridor." He pointed at Misato, who was busy watching over her two wards. "She is da keeper of da two forrein' studen's, an' she wanted to watch their Sortin'. Ah wan'to get her to Hogsmeade. Ah don' wanna let her out while those monstairs are around. She said she had a lotta things ta do, an' couddn't stay for da Feast."

McGonagal looked at Misato for a moment. "Very well," she pulled an old piece of leather from her pocket. "Here you go, Hagrid. Make sure she's safe, and return as soon as possible." She was a bit uncomfortable letting a visitor go while the Dementors roamed outside, but the portkey was capable of crossing Hogwarts wards, and Hagrid would not abuse it in any way.

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Great Hall  
Ravenclaw Table** _

Rei and Luna talked animatedly. The small blonde carried most of the conversation, while Rei settled on asking the occasional questions, or simply nodded encouragingly.

Eventually, Rei noticed the stares of their housemates. She turned towards the group of girls in front of them. "Yes? Can I help you?"

The leader of the group, a girl with black hair and eyes, asked bluntly, "Why are you wasting your time with Loony Lovegood? You seem to be smarter than that."

Taken aback, Rei blinked twice, while her new friend shrank a little on her seat, her previous enthusiasm suddenly gone. Rei answered coldly, " _Luna_ an interesting person. I am curious about the magical creatures here." She paused, "And I think she can be a good friend." Rei added, defiantly. Luna raised her head, surprised by the turn of events. She had half expected that the blue-haired girl would fold to Cho Chang and her group.

"Oh, please!" the girl dismissed Luna with a wave of her hand, "She is completely barmy. Always talking about creatures that don't exist!"

Rei took breath, "I have seen several things most people wouldn't believe exists, Miss..?" Rei raised an eyebrow.

"Cho Chang."

"Miss Chang, most people on this world won't ever see a pegasus, an unicorn, or a dragon. Do you doubt they are real?"

"No! but they do exist! They are real!"

"How do you know it?" Rei retorted, "Have you seen them?"

Chang sputtered, "I… I… Well, yes! I saw an unicorn when I was little!"

"Good. I haven't seen one yet. You say you have. I have no proof you have seen one. Only your word. Should I dismiss your claims?"

"But I am not the only one to see them!" she turned to her companions, "They have seen them too!" the two girls nodded frantically.

"That doesn't change my point. I still have only your word for it at the moment." Rei leaned back for a moment. "We have been warned about Dementors a moment ago. Muggles can't see them. Does that mean they don't exist?"

Uncertain, Chang resumed her argument. "They do exist! Muggles can't see them, that's all."

"Good point. _They_ can't see them. They can only feel their effects on them." Rei enjoyed the debate. In her previous life, she had been discouraged to interact with her peers. But now? She was encouraged to do it!

After a short pause, to let her housemates think of her argument, she continued, softening her voice a bit, "Have you heard about Thestrals?" Luna perked up a bit, still letting Rei talk.

"Uh… No." Chang admitted. "What are those? More of Looney's imaginary creatures?"

"No, they are well documented. Thestrals look like emaciated black pegasii, with membranous wings. They eat meat, and are very docile. You will find their description and characteristics in The Monster Book of Monsters, our textbook for Care of Magical Creatures." Chang and her friend cringed at the mention of the book, but Rei didn't stop, "I am glad you haven't seen them. But I can assure you, " she looked at each one in turn, her dark blue eyes intimidating them with their unblinking stare. "You have been very close to them. Today."

"What do you mean? When? Where?" The three looked around, alarmed.

"Thestrals are invisible. Except to those who have seen somebody die, and understood what death means. I have seen them." She stated, matter of fact. "However, I can prove their existence."

She held their complete attention. "Ask Hagrid. Ask him what pulls the carriages from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts." She leaned back. "Who knows? Maybe we will study them this year."

Before Chang or her friends could answer. The food appeared on the table. "Should we continue later?" They nodded, deep in thought.

Rei had some difficulty choosing, but she eventually settled on a vegetable soup and several baked potatoes.

On an impulse, she added a small piece of bacon to her plate.

* * *

_**Ministry of Magic  
Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures** _

"Impossible! This is absolutely absurd! Check again!" a shrill voice demanded.

The voice that responded was carefully controlled to not show the annoyance its owner felt. "I assure you, Madame. There is one missing Dementor. Our detection net charm frizzled for a few seconds, close to ten minutes before the Hogwarts Express arrived to Hogsmeade. We lost track of the Dementor contingent at Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. We re-established all the tracking charms five minutes ago. And all Dementors are accounted for. They are patrolling Hogwarts and Hogsmead as they were ordered to. All of them are where they are supposed to be, except for one. We haven't been able to locate it. Our best guess is that it has moved beyond the tracking spells area."

"Which one? Hurry! I don't have all night! The Minister must be informed that everything is running smoothly, and a two-bit animal wrangler like you won't get in the way of the news."

The man controlled his irritation, before answering. "Number 76. The one designated to look for Black on the track of the Hogwarts Express. If it was any other kind of magical creature, I'd wager the Hogwarts Express hit them."

"Don't be ridiculous, a Dementor is not solid enough for the Hogwarts Express to damage them."

"I am very aware of that fact, Madame. That is why I am not wagering such would be the case."

"Send a search team immediately. And not a single word to anybody else. Swear them to secrecy and keep me informed. Understood?"

"Very clearly, Madame Umbridge."

* * *

_**Author Notes:** _

I know, there are some bits here that are OOC, but I have a good reason for them. I will reveal it when the time is right.

(1) This bit was inspired by PS238, a comic about a school for superpowered children, written and illustrated by Aaron Williams. It is a great and fun reading with barely any hint of Grimdark! In a story-arc, a telepath tried to read the mind of a non-powered hero, only to find the superficial thoughts of the man were hidden after the music. The earworm quality made for a good distraction, keeping the telepath from progressing further. The music was the first track of the _Eye in the Sky_ album (released in 1982, so, let's pretend Sirius Black heard it after he escaped from Azkaban). I have chosen to use it here because Harry's godfather has a twisted sense of humour. I'll leave you to check it out.


	18. Chapter 18

_**I Had the Most Unusual Dream** _

* * *

_**Hogwarts;  
Great Hall  
Gryffindor Table** _

Shinji Ikari had never been too partial to sweets, but tonight, at the Welcoming Feast in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he allowed himself a little treat, a treacle tart. He enjoyed the taste. While he wiped his mouth with a napkin, he noticed Professor Lupin excusing himself from the table just as the desserts were being served.

He exchanged an interrogating look with Rei, at the Ravenclaw table, and realized she had been chatting with none other than Luna Lovegood. The small blonde followed Rei’s eyes, and waved shyly at him. Just as shy, he answered with a wave of his own.

* * *

_**Hogwarts;  
Great Hall  
Ravenclaw Table** _

Rei saw Lupin leaving the staff table, and shrugged at Shinji’s silent question.

"Who is he?" Luna asked.

"Shinji Ikari, my brother." She answered.

Cho Chang, still a bit out of it after their small debate, turned around to look at Shinji for a moment. "Ikari? Shouldn’t you two have the same surname?"

"Half-siblings actually. Father was… complicated." Her unblinking eyes fixed themselves into Chang´s own brown eyes for a couple of seconds, then Rei added, "And the Ikari Clan needed a male heir."

"I… see…" Chang dropped the subject. It would be a breach of protocol to dig more at the moment, but that wouldn´t stop her from asking her family. For the time being, it was time to eat.

That night, Rei´s arguments would repeat themselves in her dreams.

* * *

_**Hogsmeade Village  
The Three Broomsticks** _

"Thanks, Hagrid." Misato Katsuragi patted the half-giant´s hairy sleeve. "I can take it from here. Please keep an eye on my kids, will you?" she smiled at him.

"Sure Ah will, Miss Ka´suragi. They seem to be good kids."

"The best!" she laughed. "I know they can take care of themselves; but still, one worries."

"As it shoudd be, Miss. Ah´ll be seeing ya later." Hagrid shook her hand, and activated the portkey back to Hogwarts. Misato looked around, finding the dreadful silhouette of a Dementor, floating high above the street, and hurried to enter the inn.

Once inside, she took a table at the almost desert main room. Madame Rosmerta came to her table a few seconds later. "What will it be, luv? New around here?"

"Yeah. Just arrived today. What do you recommend?"

"Well, welcome to England then!" She smiled widely. "We just have some roasted veggies, and steak. Today is not exactly a busy day."

"That´s okay, I´ll take it. Add a muggle beer if you have it and I´ll be set for the night. There are rooms available, I hope."

"Sorry, hun. Not enough people asks for it. Personally, I do like the taste, but don´t really indulge much. Once or twice a year, at most. But I have butterbeer if you want it." Then she added, proudly, "House-made, my own brand. And there´s a room ready."

"That would be great, I haven´t tried it yet." Misato said while Rosmerta gave her a key. "Third floor, second room to the left. I´ll bring your dinner in a snap."

Misato went up the stairs and entered her room. From one of her pockets, she brought out the book Death had given her and looked at the cover. "It will be better to use this tomorrow." She yawned like a tiger. "I´m about to drop…"

She put the well-thumbed book back in her pocket, and made sure the window was closed. The fresh night air brought up a chill that had nothing to do with mere temperature. The door opened, and Rosmerta entered the room, levitating a platter behind her. "Be better to keep that window well closed, there are Dementors on the prowl." Once she had set the platter on the table, she used her wand to lock the window. "They say Sirius Black is trying to kill Harry Potter, poor thing…"

Misato nodded, "Bad business. Hopefully, they will put him in his place very soon." She said, meaning the opposite of what Rosmerta thought.

She put a Galleon on Rosmerta´s hand. "For the room, the dinner, and the breakfast tomorrow." Seeing Rosmerta fumble in her pocket, Misato added, "Keep the change."

Rosmerta´s smile widened, "Thank you, mylady. Anything you´d like for breakfast?"

"Whatever you make will be fine, I´m sure."

"Full English breakfast, then. Seven o´clock is fine?"

"Better make it eight, I am very tired."

Once Rosmerta closed the door, Misato sat on the bed, pulled the small table, and began to eat. Her mind wandered to that old promise she had made to her pilots. "I owe you a steak dinner, kids." She said.

* * *

_**Ravenclaw Dormitories  
3** _ _**rd** _ _**Years Rooms, Room 8** _

Most of the Ravenclaw students eyed Rei with a combination of awe, curiosity, and speculation. The bluenette simply ignored them, still talking with Luna. The two separated to go to their respective dormitories. Unlike Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, each Eagle had their own room, with a bookcase and a small desk designated for their use while they stayed at the school. Rei took a few minutes to arrange her set of schoolbooks and her set of quills and inkpots in their places. Once she was satisfied, she entered her own private bathroom. At first sight, it was similar to the one she had used most of her life, but free of dampness stains and stubborn mould growths. It was perfectly clean. Each and every surface gleamed. It reminded her of the way Shinji kept Major Katsuragi´s apartment.

She decided a shower would be in order. To her mild surprise, the water temperature adjusted itself, until it was comfortably warm. She stood under the stream of water for longer than strictly necessary. Back in Tokyo-3, she was used to cold showers in her dilapidated apartment. The only time she could enjoy a hot shower was in NERV, after one of the unending synch tests, a memory back-up, or a sortie in Unit-00. And even then, she had to hurry up, before the automated systems would cut the hot water flow. She had long suspected that was on Commander Ikari´s orders, as neither Shinji nor Soryu had ever complained about that.

She wrapped herself in a big fluffy blue towel, and dried her short hair. Taking the hairbrush, she tried to settle it back into shape, but a couple of strands stood up stubbornly. She surrendered after a couple of minutes, looked at her reflection on the mirror, and blinked twice.

She leaned towards the mirror, studying her reflection. Her eyes!

They were blue!

Gone was that hated red colour that mocked her every time she looked at her own face in a reflecting surface!

She looked closely. And remembered where had she seen that particular shade of blue.

Her eyes were now the same exact colour of Shinji´s own eyes!

"I´m I a metamorphmagus?" she whispered, examining her eyes first, and then the rest of her face. After a few seconds of concentration, the colour of her eyes changed to perfectly mimic Misato Katsuragi´s warm brown. A moment later, their shape changed too, a perfect copy of the ex-Chief of Operations eyes in colour, shape, and even the eyelashes and eyebrows. "It seems to be the case."

She continued experimenting, and eventually, Rei Ayanami had been replaced by Misato Katsuragi, barely covered by a towel wrapped around her body.

"Interesting. Shinji must be informed of this development. It might be useful." A moment later, Rei Ayanami had returned to her original shape, except for her now blue eyes.

Rei didn´t know Misato Katsuragi had a ragged scar on her torso. So her changed body was free of that particular blemish.

Curious, Rei decided to experiment a bit with her own form. She willed her hair to grow longer, but strangely, it refused to do so. The strand at the top of her head sprung straight up instead. Had she had a normal childhood, she would have expected to hear a "Boing!" noise.

A bell brought her out of her experiments. It signalled curfew time. Unhurried, Rei discarded her towel into the hamper, and walked naked to her bed.

Once covered with several blankets, she drifted into sleep.

For the first time in her life, she dreamt.

She dreamt of flying on a broom, chasing a small golden ball.

She dreamt of a giant made of light, screaming over a white, cold desolation.

She dreamt of a silent, lonely world. The sound of waves and the smell of iron. 

* * *

_**Hogwarts, Hospital Wing** _

Harry Potter dreamt too.

He dreamt of being inside a metal cylinder, shaken by the hand of a giant. He heard and felt his bones breaking with each impact.

He dreamt of a dark blue giant, exploding close by, and being buried alive.

He dreamt of a lance made of light piercing his eye while standing high over a strange city; his left arm hanging broken by his side.

* * *

_**Hogsmeade Village  
The Three Broomsticks** _

Misato Katsuragi dreamt.

Of hiding from a gigantic snake in a dark, cold, and humid room.

Of anger and despair in equal measure, raging at a callous man.

Of waiting inside a glass cylinder, feeling her mind becoming two identical minds and leaving one behind.

* * *

_**Hogwarts, Gryffindor Dormitories** _

Shinji Ikari dreamt

He was two who were one, and held the world in his hands.

He looked into the eyes of a small, miserable penguin, and decided that he would live.

He was locked inside a cupboard, crying in silence.

* * *

_**Hogwarts** _   
_**Chamber of Secrets** _

Under the school, a group of goblins began their turn to harvest the basilisk parts, while another lay down in their field beds to rest. Many barrels and boxes had been filled to the very brim, some with flesh, some with clotted blood, still potent despite the time elapsed since the creature’s death at the hands of Harry Potter; others contained the organs of the monster, and yet others held the carefully labeled bones, ready to be cleaned and reassembled.

The sale of the basilisk parts would net a beautiful amount of Galleons for Gringotts and for each goblin in the rendering teams.

The resting goblins dreamt of riches, and more than one decided it would be time to begin their own families, now that their monetary situation had improved nicely.

* * *

_**Next day** _

After a somewhat strange night, Harry Potter arrived to the Great Hall, ready to sit at his usual place at the Gryffindor table.

He was very early, there were only two other persons in the Great Hall. A gangly teenager, with brown hair, talking calmly with a blue haired girl Harry didn´t recognize.

"Shinji? Is that you? I mean… I… I…" Harry looked down awkwardly aware of the third person in the Great Hall.

"Hello, Harry." Shinji bowed to his friend. "Yes, It´s me. You won´t believe what happened after Fawkes brought you back to life. And I look forward to telling you. But first, I’d like to introduce you two. This is my sister, Rei Ayanami." The blue-haired girl bowed too, her hands held at her sides. He whispered, low enough for only Rei and Harry to listen, even though the Great Hall was empty, except for them, "She knows, Rei will help us."

She spoke softly, but there was a… Harry wouldn´t have known how to describe the quality in her voice. It was as weighty as it was delicate; warm and indifferent at the same time. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Potter," she said. It took Harry a moment to register her words.

Imitating her, he bowed clumsily, deeper than it would have been right. "It´s an honour to meet you, Miss… Aya… Ayanami? Did I say it right?" Shinji smiled while Harry straightened up and looked at him with an inquisitive wrinkle on his brow.

Shinji shook his head, "Long story, Harry. For now, let´s leave it at that our father wasn't the most upstanding citizen." The Japanese teenager grimaced, and Harry decided not to ask. He sighed. "We have a bit of time to talk, but we really need to talk to you. Did you manage to …" He looked around, and whispered, raising an eyebrow, "Padfoot?"

Harry grinned, proudly. "It went without a hitch. He´s safe and sound, and auditing like a fiend! With the help of a mutual friend."

Shinji nodded. "Great!" Rei looked at the two, one after the other. She had no previous knowledge of this boy, except for what Shinji had told her and Misato back in the train, but felt a curious affinity for the boy who had been raised to be an unknowing weapon in a power game. With a gasp, she realized that was something they had in common.

She noticed that Harry kept glancing at her from time to time. Rei tilted her head to the right, studying the young wizard while he talked with her brother.

Before long, the first few students began to trickle into the Great Hall. Shinji looked at them, and Harry followed suit a moment later. "We better get seated." Rei turned around, and walked to the Ravenclaw table. Harry looked at Shinji.

"Excuse her, please. She means no disrespect, she was raised that way." He waved a hand, "I’ll explain later, after classes, I got something for you that you´ll want to see immediately, but we need to get to the Room of Requirement first. I hope it has what we will need."

"O… okay." He was curious to see what Shinji meant, but he would wait.

They sat at the end of the Gryffindor table, and talked about inconsecuential things while the benches were filled with hungry students.


	19. Chapter 19

_**Busy Day. Opening Movements.** _

Parenthesis indicate a language other than English, in this case Gobbledegook.

* * *

_**Hogwarts;  
Great Hall  
Gryffindor Table** _

Gradually, the students began to arrive to the Great Hall, alone, in pairs or in small groups, taking seats at their respective House tables.

Harry and Shinji were busy having a quiet talk at the middle of Gryffindor Table. The subject absolutely and very deliberately unrelated to what they actually wanted to talk about. They stuck to safe subjects, like the differences in teaching methods at the _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_ in England, and the ones taught at the _Mahoutokoro School of Magic_ in Japan.

The table began to fill a few minutes later. Among the first to arrive was Ron Weasley, who sat quite far from Harry, but not before glaring at him. When he noticed Shinji at Harry's side, his eyes narrowed for a moment. Then, Ron turned towards the Staff Table, as if Harry and Shinji didn't merit his attention. Harry noticed it, with a small pang of regret. But he didn't had time to do anything. Shinji looked down at the table, keeping silent. Despite his personal opinion about Ron Weasley, he didn't want to put a wedge between he and Harry.

Fred and George sat to Harry's right. One of the two put a small bag on the table, and pushed it towards Harry. "Good morning to you, Harrykins. My not so talented brother and yours truly had a long discussion last night, while you were resting under the ever so vigilant eyes of Madame Pomfrey; and realized we had, contrary to our usual conduct, made a terrible mistake."

The other twin took the flow of the talk without missing a beat, "As my not so handsome brother was about to say, we would like to correct said mistake; and, hopefully, take you on your word. That is, if your more than generous offer still stands."

The two chorused, "We want in, Harry!"

Harry had to laugh, "Well, my esteemed gruesome twosome," he mimicked their way to talk, "I will have to check on with my partner, before reaching a decision. I hope we can agree on the appropriate terms." He took the bag in his hand, and pocketed it. "I'll let you know later today, tomorrow morning at the latest. Now, in the meanwhile, I'd like to introduce you to my new friend, Mr. Shinji Ikari." He gestured towards Shinji, who had been watching the exchange intently, wondering what they were talking about.

"Ah! Our visitor from beyond the horizon!" One of the two shook Shinji's hand, then the other followed, "Welcome to Hogwarts, good sir. A friend of Harry is a friend of ours."

Shinji smiled at the two, and shook their hands enthusiastically, he didn't considered himself a fun person, but that didn't mean he didn't like the Weasley Twins, they were among his favourite characters from the books. "Thank you, good sirs!" he joined the talk. "Your fame precedes you. Would you happen to have some interesting candy at hand? I would like to try some. At home, we have no chance to sample such wares."

"Oh, woe!" one twin put his wrist to his forehead in an over-dramatic gesture. The other pretended to faint, "Oh, the sad state of fun at the other side of the world. My brother and I shall endeavour to remedy such situation at once." He then stage whispered to Shinji, "That will be three sickles for a sampler pack, containing different magical candies _and_ chocolates. To be delivered after dinner. We will include the notes on what exactly each type of sweet does, to prevent unwanted effects at inopportune times."

Shinji put the money on the table, to be scooped discreetly by the closest twin. "A pleasure to do business with you, Ikari."

"Shinji, please. Ah, could you also include some candy appropriate for my sister? Nothing that could change any part of her, but any visual effect occurring not inside her would be, I think, of her liking."

The twins looked at each other, then at the Ravenclaw table, where Rei and Luna were talking. Both smiled, and turned back to Shinji "Count on it! Has she ever sampled things like chocolate frogs?"

"Uh, no. Neither have I."

"Two chocolate frogs will be delivered to you along with the sample pack. Now, if you excuse us, we have to pick up our schedules."

They stood up, and walked to their usual seats. They turned around as one and added, "Shinji, would you be so kind to introduce us to her? She is very, very pretty." Then stage whispered again, smiling widely, "We are still within the five-minute window, right?" and before leaving, both winked; one with the right eye, the other with the left.

Seeing Shinji's expression, even Harry had to snicker. A moment later, laughter spread all over the Gryffindor table. Even Shinji joined in, once he understood the joke.

* * *

_**Hogwarts;  
Great Hall  
Ravenclaw Table** _

Rei waited patiently, until Luna Lovegood joined her, smiling widely to her new, and at the moment, only friend. Rei tilted her head, studying the small blonde witch for a moment, a gesture that was immediately copied by Luna. "How do you keep the Nargles away, Rei?" she asked.

"It might be my diet. I am vegetarian." She paused, remembering the bacon she had eaten last night. Her brow furrowed. That had been very uncharacteristic of her. ' _Why did I consume a piece of meat? And I would have expected to dislike it. That was not the case_.' she thought. One more question to pose to Shinji when they had the chance to talk at length. She shrugged.

" _Mostly_ vegetarian, it seems…"Rei added, hesitating a bit

Luna put her hands on her ears. Rei blinked twice and tilted her head to the other side, thinking.

"Your earrings are safe, Luna." She said once she realized the reason. The blonde lowered her hands slowly.

"Are you sure? These are fresh and juicy…"

"I would never take something from you without asking first."

Luna's eyes misted for a moment. "Thank you."

A burst of laughter from the Gryffindor Table made them look at their classmates. For some reason, Shinji's face was red as a tomato. Intrigued, Rei blinked twice.

* * *

_**Hogwarts;  
Great Hall  
Staff Table** _

Remus Lupin dragged his feet towards the table. He sat heavily on his designated chair. He mused his hair, and sighed. He had stayed up way later than his usual bedtime. He had spent the night walking all over the castle, checking the secret passages, trying to pick some trace of Sirius Black.

Albus Dumbledore entered the Hall while Remus leaned back on his chair, trying to rest his eyes before his first class of the day. He still felt the effects of his latest clash with his furry little problem.

"Are you feeling well, my boy?" Dumbledore asked, in his grandfatherly way.

"Yes, Professor Dumbledore. I just had a bad night. Couldn't sleep and spent some time wandering around."

"I see. Well, hopefully, this night things will be better. I myself had an urgent matter to take care of at the Ministry, nothing really important in the big scheme of things, but rather urgent. Sadly, I missed the Sorting and the Welcoming Feast. But, Alas, some things cannot be left for later." He sighed.

Dumbledore sat at his throne, and surveyed the Great Hall. To his surprise, he noticed two new students who weren't First Years. "Who are those?" he pointed discreetly at Shinji first, then at Rei.

Lupin followed the gesture and narrowed his eyes to see them better. "Ah, exchange students. From China, I think. I didn't really pay much attention at the sorting. Sorry."

"Don't worry, my boy. First day is always hard on the nerves." Dumbledore said, eyeing the newcomers, wondering if they fit with Trelawney's Second Prophecy. ' _Could she be the Trice-Born Maid? How can that even be possible? And how could she have destroyed a world? Hmm… Dyonisus' Disciple? Could that be a teacher or a mentor? A school, even?"_ the words of the prophecy chased themselves around his mind. He had to raise his occumency shields to keep control of his facial expresion.

Dumbledore decided to find out more about the two newcomers. The chance they would be involved in the prophecy was slim, but it just wouldn't do to not to take every possibility into account.

" _An altar of bad faith… what does that mean? Could they have been betrayed by the Malfoy family at some point? I'll need to investigate their known associates. Ones who are not Death Eaters or Pureblood supremacists."_ He removed his half-moon glasses, and rubbed the bridge of his long and crooked nose _. "I hate disentangling meanings from prophecies."_

* * *

_**Hogwarts;  
Great Hall  
Gryffindor Table** _

While the Gryffindor students waited for their schedules to be delivered, Hermione Granger arrived at the Gryffindor Table. She furrowed her brow when she noticed Ron and Harry were seated quite apart one from the other, and that Harry was talking to somebody she didn't know, even by sight. She hesitated for a moment between seating next to Ron or Harry. Finally, her curiosity won.

Inevitably, Shinji's first meeting with Hermione Granger was a barrage of questions! She didn't even wait for the introduction!

"Hi! You must be Shinji Ikari, the new exchange student. Did you have a good trip to England? What are your favourite subjects? Are you good at Potions? Have you chosen your Electives?"

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, while Shinji was still trying to articulate an answer. "Let him answer a question!"

Hermione blushed. "Um… Sorry. I…"

Shinji smiled at her, "Ah… um… Don't worry, Miss Granger. I am curious too. This place is very different from my old school." He looked around for emphasis before continuing. "Well… We had some problems in the trip here. We are… well… magical travel just doesn't sit well with me if it is long distance. So we had to come in a ship. A storm almost sank us… but, well, we were rescued right on time." Shinji gulped. He felt somewhat guilty about the counterparts he, Rei, and Misato had had on this world. The three had died in that same sea.

However, thanks to Destiny and Death, the refugees from Tokyo-3 had taken their place. Silently, he decided he would pray for their counterparts later. He had never been religious back in his original world, but after meeting both Death and Destiny, he was very willing to believe there was some higher power.

* * *

Eventually, a critical mass of students gathered. So, of course rumours began to fly fast.

According to some, Harry Potter had actually destroyed a Dementor! Almost no one believed this, despite some credible witnesses. Others said that Potter had fainted like a damsel in distress, and had to be rescued by an Auror contingent traveling incognito in the Hogwarts Express. Yet others argued that there had been no Dementor in the train, and that the whole event had been just a ruse, the purpose of said undefined ruse was a total mystery.

In any case, Draco Malfoy lost no time in visiting the Gryffindor Table for his usual round of mocking. Accompanied by his two gorilla-like bookends, of course.

"Hey, Scarhead! Is it true you _fainted_? Of course you did!" His eyes almost sparkled in malicious glee.

Shinji was about to grab Harry's forearm, when to his surprise, it was Harry who laughed. "Well, yes! I did!" Malfoy was about to redouble his efforts, but when Harry's words registered, the surprise took all his momentum away. All around Harry, the students gaped at the Boy-Who-Lived.

Harry continued. "It was the most hideous thing I have ever seen. It looked awfully like… I don't really know how to describe it, pale skin, straight pale hair, almost sticking to its head, beady blue eyes almost devoid of colour. It came to our compartment, opened the door before any of us could do or say anything." He looked around, at the strange expressions of his neighbours. "The thing opened its maw, looked at me with those vacuous eyes, rattled its breath ominously, and said…"

Hermione was about to speak but Harry moved his elbow to touch her hand, distracting her. He continued. "… with a voice that sounded like a ferret from Hell…" then, he mimicked Malfoy's sneer and voice, "' _When my Father hears of this_ …' I thought I was about to die of fear."

The table erupted in laughter! Malfoy retreated back to the Slytherin Table, utterly humiliated.

At the Staff Table, a sallow skinned man stood up, sneering at the Gryffindors before sitting down again. "Twenty points from Gryffindor, for making a scene." he drawled, while the clear deposit for House Points extended downwards, jus enough for twenty jewels.

The Gryffindors moaned collectively. The first class hadn't even begun, and Snape had already docked them points.

"Let me guess," Shinji said, lowering his voice. "Snape."

Most other students nodded, but Hermione said, almost without realizing it, " _Professor_ Snape, Harry."

Harry snickered again "Me? It wasn't me this time!".

Hermione blushed when she realized her mistake. "Oh, sorry, Ikari, your voice and Harry's sound almost the same. But back to the point, he is a professor and deserves respect."

"From what I've heard, and now seen, the man is not a teacher. I would bet he didn't even give the safety measures talk before putting the First Years to brew the first potion." He waited a second, letting the information sink.

"Safety measures? What safety measures?" Neville Longbottom asked. Harry smirked to himself, knowing that Shinji was going somewhere with this.

Shinji began to tick off his fingers. "How to correctly prepare the ingredients. Potentially volatile combinations. How to clean and prepare your equipment. How to safely add ingredients to a potion in the making. How to recognize the signs that a potion is becoming unstable. What to do and what NOT to do in such cases. At Mahoutokoro we are not even allowed to get near the potions lab unless we have practiced with a lot of dummy ingredients. We must prove we can manage the correct procedures, and we have drills to practice evacuation of the classroom in case there's an accident, plus emergency procedures in case a student gets harmed. It's not as simple as just getting a bezoar into somebody's mouth. We are issued safety equipment before our first lesson, and we must learn to use it. Any student who doesn't prove to be able to safely manage equipment and ingredients is not allowed into the Potions Classroom."

All the students looked at him, Shinji began to feel the need to squirm under the attention, but he managed to resist it.

Predictably, it was Hermione who first spoke, "Honestly, Ikari; I hadn't thought about that… it sounds like you're studying muggle chemistry, not potions."

"Well… after all, muggle chemistry developed from what was thought of as alchemy, so yes, there is a lot of overlap."

"I'll need to research on this later." She wrote a note and stuck it in one of her books. At that point, Professor McGonagall made the rounds at the table, delivering the course schedules. "Miss Granger, I need to talk to you about your schedule. It will take only a minute and then you'll be able to come back to the table." She turned towards Shinji, "Mr. Ikari, welcome to Hogwarts, I expect you will behave accordingly to Mahoutokoro's standards. Come talk to me about your electives at your first free period. Normally, we would have seen to this matter after the Welcoming Feast, but with Professor Dumbledore's unexpected absence, it was not possible."

Shinji stood up, and bowed deeply to the older witch, "Thank you, Professor McGonagall, I will. In the meanwhile, would it be too bold of me to accompany the rest of the group and see the classes for myself?"

McGonagall looked at him for a couple of seconds, "Certainly, Mr. Ikari. I think you would be in good company with…" she wanted to suggest Hermione, but her convoluted schedule wouldn't be easy to follow without access to a Time Turner. "Mr. Longbottom here." Neville raised his head, surprised. "Mr. Longbottom, I trust you will mentor Mr. Ikari during his first week as a Hogwarts student."

Neville looked around, to find Shinji smiling. "It would be an honour, Mr. Longbottom." The foreign student extended his hand, Neville only hesitated a moment before shaking it.

"Then it's settled. Now, if you excuse me…" she kept on delivering the rest of the schedules, while Hermione followed her.

Harry checked on his schedule, and showed it to Shinji, who read the first entry, "Our first class is Adivination, 9:00 a.m. That should be interesting." He sat back on the bench, thinking. _"Well.. let's see what Trelawney has to say about me…"_

Hagrid entered the Great Hall. He smiled from ear to ear as he approached the Gryffindor Table.

"Hello, Harry, Hermione, Mr. Ikari. Boys." He looked around the table. "Good day ta you all." He smiled widely, "I look forward to having ya all in ma firs' class! A'll see ya der!" he walked to the staff table, sitting on an enormous chair.

* * *

_**Diagon Alley  
** _

After a tasty (but somewhat greasy) breakfast, Misato used her portkey to travel to the Leaky Cauldron. Once she had paid for a room for the day, she walked towards her first destination of the day.

Gringotts.

She bowed courteously to the guards. "May you have a profitable day, good guards; may you direct me to the New Accounts Manager?"

The two guards looked at each other, arching their wispy eyebrows. The older one answered, "Manager Handaxe. Third desk on the left."

"Thank you. May your blades be always sharp and your gold everflowing."

The guards allowed her to pass unimpeded, and without the usual sneer at her back. "(Must be a foreigner.)" The younger guard said.

"(Most probably. Good mannered wizards are as rare as hairy fishes around here.)"

Both turned back to their job.

* * *

One hour later, Misato Katsuragi had opened four vaults. One for the Ikari Clan business, and one each for Shinji, Rei and herself. Handaxe had been nicely surprised when he had been asked about possible investments in the Muggle world.

"Certainly, Miss Katsuragi. But it is somewhat frowned upon in _polite_ company." His distaste was somewhat obvious.

"Then, it will be just a matter of not discussing it in such company, wouldn't it?" She pocketed the keys issued. "From what I have seen, most magicals simply expect Gringotts to keep watch over their money, and don't even explore possible ways to increase their wealth, am I right?"

"Indeed you are." He put a series of documents in a luxurious folder, stamped with the sigil of Gringotts, and slid it towards Misato. "Here are your first account statements, we will owl you your statements each month, to any address you'd like."

"Now, about that, I have no permanent residence at the moment. I would like for Gringotts advice. I would prefer a small apartment, I mean, flat; or a small house either here in Diagon Alley or in Muggle London, close to the Leaky Cauldron. Rented, with an option to buy it if it proves convenient."

"I'll gather a selection of available properties for your perusal. It will be available at," he looked at an strange dial, "12:38 P.M. Please be punctual. A Junior Manager will accompany you to examine the properties, and prepare the initial parchmentwork. Final approval and contract will be handled by Steeldagger, your Account Manager."

"I will be here on time." Misato stood up. "May your enemies fear your name and your vaults be always full." She bowed, and walked out the door.

"(Now, that's a witch who knows the value of time. At least on a first impression.)" Handaxe mused.

* * *

**_Author Notes:_ **

I am aware that Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Spike Spencer's (Shinji Ikari) voices are not really alike.

However, in the Latin American dubbed versions of both Neon Genesis Evangelion and the Harry Potter movies, things change.

Starting with Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry and Shinji share the same voice actor, Victor Ugarte. He has dubbed Shinji in _all_ versions of Evangelion to date. Beginning with the original dub, two redubs of the series, the Rebuild movies, the Netflix dub, including both NGE movies. I think he and Jesse Conde (Fujutsuki) are the only ones who have worked in all versions of NGE.

And, just to top it off, Ugarte also dubbed Nigel Planter (renamed Harry Popote, "Popote" means "Drinking Straw") in The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy.


	20. Chapter 20

_**Do Prophecies of Future Past Count?**_

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Great Hall  
Gryffindor Table** _

Hermione Granger looked happily at her schedule. As she expected, the ten subjects were clearly written on the sheet. As Ron wasn't sitting close, the redheaded boy didn't note that there was not enough time in the day for her to attend to so many classes.

Harry and Shinji exchanged a look. The former EVA pilot nodded minutely, Harry kept on talking about how their first class was Divination. Neville shuddered and stood up "Ikari, we should go. I'm n-not sure where this class is, North Tower, but I haven't been there."

Shinji smiled, and picked up his bookbag, a simple and functional item made of leather. It was almost an exact copy of the one he had back at Tokyo-3, except it was new. There was not a single scuff or mark on its surface.

"You're right, Longbottom. Let's go. Uh, would you mind if I sit with you at the class? I don't have the Divination book yet."

A bit surprised, Neville accepted immediately. "Sure. Let's go." He turned to Harry, signalling to the rest of the group. "Uh… any of you know where the classroom is?"

Not even Hermione knew. "Oh, let's go. Just how hard can it be to find a classroom?

* * *

Five minutes later, the group was completely lost. "C'mon! There must be a way to get there!" Harry groeled in frustration.

"Maybe we should ask?" Shinji said, innocently.

"Ask whom?" Hermione queried, more than a bit annoyed by the delay. "There's no one here but us!"

Shinji looked at the wall, and spoke to the portrait of an old man, looking at the group with some amusement. "Excuse me, sir. My name is Shinji Ikari," he bowed respectfully, "My friends and I are a bit lost at the moment. Would you be so kind to help us?"

The old man grinned. "Augustus Klopsky, at your service, young man. Former Gatekeeper in Chief. Now, where are you going?"

"To Divination class, Mr. Klopsky. Our schedules read North Tower, but it seems we took a wrong turn somewhere."

"I see, I see." Klopsky tapped his chin. "Let me think for a moment. Ah! Got it. Just follow me, and I'll get you there in a moment." He walked to the group's right, and vanished from the frame. A moment later, they heard his voice from the other end of the hall. "Over here!" he said jovially.

Hermione looked at Shinji. "How did you know a portrait could help us?"

"My Guardian gets lost in new places. Even with a map at hand." Shinji remembered his first day at NERV, and how Misato had gotten lost immediately, delaying their arrival to the EVA cages. For a moment, he wondered if they had not gotten lost, his first battle would have gone in a different way. He shook the idea away, and followed Klopsky from frame to frame, until they arrived to the right place. Shinji bowed deeply again. "We are very grateful, Mr. Klopsky."

The portrait saluted him back, "It was a pleasure, young lad. I would like to talk to you later, my hall doesn't get many visitors, and it gets boring." He looked around at the group, "Of course, any of you, youngsters, are welcome. Now, I must go back to my frame."

The group thanked the portrait, and joined the rest of the class at what seemed to be a dead end. Just a little landing at the end of a set of spiral stairs.

While the larger group tried to decide on a course of action, a very annoyed Ron Weasly arrived, muttering something about "…Bloody mental knights…"

Wisely, no one commented on his annoyance, letting him fume at peace.

Hermione checked her watch. "Um… is there even a classroom here?"

Harry pointed up. There was a small, round trapdoor in the ceiling. A brass plaque read "Sybil Trelawney. Divination Teacher."

Ron asked, "Great! How are we even supposed to get up there?"

The trapdoor opened, and a silvery ladder descended. Ron practically pushed Shinji aside. "Move aside, noob." Hermione was about to let Ron know what she thought of his behaviour, but Shinji shook his head. "Don't bother."

She shook her head. Ron was acting up lately, even worse than usual. Harry and Shinji held the ladder, "Ladies first." They said at the same time. Hermione smiled and rolled her eyes.

They kept their eyes down, while they allowed all the girls in the class to enter the classroom. However, they were the first males to go up.

The classroom looked nothing like Harry or Hermione would have expected. It was closer to a fortune-teller tent in a carnival. Twenty small, round tables crammed in too small a space, surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat, little pouffs. The courtains were closed, trapping the smell of incense and… Shinji sniffed discreetely. 'Cooking cherry?' he recognized the smell from a botched attempt to cook some European dish for Asuka.

Lost in his memories, he missed most of Trelawney's introductory speech. "Now, my child, take a seat and hopefully, your third eye will open the mists of the future." He blushed, and took a seat next to Neville.

After distressing Neville, Padma Patil, and Lavender Brown with some strange observations, and causing Neville to break a teacup, Trelawney looked at Shinji, and shook her head with deep sadness. "I am very sorry, my child, but you should wear dragon-skin armor, with a reinforced helmet, if you don't want to lose your right eye."

Shinji furrowed his brow. 'The right eye?' he felt a shiver and remembered his first fight at the controls of Unit-01. The Third Angel's energy talon… The monster had broken Unit-01's left arm, and while he was screaming in phantom pain, it had used its talon to hammer the EVA's head, until it broke through helmet, eye, and skull of the artificial humanoid. Shinji had no idea there could be so much pain.

Until later.

Shaken, Shinji nodded, gulping audibly.

* * *

_**London  
Ministry of Magic  
Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures  
Spirit Division** _

"Well?"

"Madame Umbridge, we are ready to begin the experiment."

The squat and ugly woman, dressed in an eye-watering pink robe stomped a foot on the floor "What are you waiting for? I want to disprove that ridiculous rumour once and for all!"

The man managed to contain an annoyed sigh. "Very well." He signaled his staff. They levitated a big steel box, and chained it to the floor. Several wizards held their wands at the ready.

A man was chained to a chair. He wore the striped grey and black robes of an Azkaban prisoner.

Umbridge spoke with a nauseating sweetnes, "Ahem, Mr. Coppersmith, you have been judged guilty of murdering an Azkaban guard, and it is time for your execution by Dementor's Kiss." The man paled, he had been once a towering giant, at 7'3", with muscles better suited to a bear, but several years in Azkaban had reduced him to a stick figure, all bones and skin. He looked like a trapped animal. He was chained to the chair, and only his left arm was more or less free. His head was strapped to the back of the chair, allowing him no movement.

Umbridge continued. "However, we can commute your sentence to life at Azkaban, if you help us with a little experiment."

Coppersmith croaked, "I… I… yes. What do you want?"

"We want to know if a Dementor can be killed with chocolate."

"What?"

"Don't make me repeat myself, Coppersmith. Next to your left hand, is a big piece of chocolate. All you have to do is to shove it down the Dementor's gullet when it tries to kiss you."

The man licked his lips, hesitating. "And if it Kisses me?"

"Then you would have been duly executed, but if the Dementor is destroyed, you'll get to live."

He tried to nod. "O-okay."

* * *

"Hem. This only demonstrates that simple chocolate is not of any use against a Dementor."

The man checked his notes. "Well, that went just as expected." The staff levitated the corpse away. The body would be duly examined, and then cremated and buried at an anonymous plot.

"Even a big chunk of chocolate only caused the Dementor a momentary discomfort. The creature proceeded to administer the Kiss to the prisoner with no unusual effects."

To the relief of the whole staff of the Spirit Division, Umbridge left the place immediately, with a disgusting smile on her batrachian lips.

Still, they were a Dementor short. And knowing the toad, they would have not a moment of rest until they found it…

* * *

_**Diagon Alley** _

Misato Katsuragi, Ikari Clan Guardian, bowed respectfully to the two goblin Guards at the doors of Gringotts. "You have my thanks for your help, brave guardians. May your blades keep sharp and your vaults grow large on the blood of your enemies. I shall return later to conclude my business of the day."

Surprised, the guards hesitated a moment, before the elder of the two answered. "May your business be fruitful on your enemies fear."

She smiled at the pair. A couple of witches commented on her lack of decorum, but Misato didn't pay any attention to them. Her first stop of the day had gone very well. "Now, the lay of the land." She checked her watch. It was a simple piece, it only had a few charms to protect it from being damaged, and to keep it on time. "It's still early, I have some time before my second date at Gringotts."

Her first stop, _Flourish and Blotts_. She metaphorically charmed the young man tending the bookstore, and got a nice discount on a big lot of books, that were shrunk and put in a bag for her to read later. She got books on magical theory, wizarding law, and even one of the Harry Potter books, " _The Boy who Lived and the Siren's Song_ ", just to see by herself how the magical world saw Harry Potter.

Next, a trunk. She bargained down the price of a trunk with undetectable expansion and air/water purifying charms, which was the equivalent to her old apartment at Tokyo-3. She even got the clerk to adjust the distribution into a reasonable facsimile of her old place. As soon as she had the chance, she would turn it into a livable place. But buying the correct furniture would take time she didn't have at the moment.

The Ministry. Misato sighed. That would be the worst part. She managed to get an appointment for the next day. If she was to establish the Ikari Clan as a legal entity in Wizarding Britain, dealing with obstructive bureaucrats was a necessary evil. She asked around, and after a not too small ammount of galleons and a couple of signatures, she had retained the services of a lawyer specialized in commercial law.

Satisfied with her progress, Misato decided to indulge on a small treat at Fortescue's, waiting to return to Gringotts.

She took the time to watch the people around her. She overheard a few conversations, nothing really interesting, except for one, it involved two wizards she didn't know personally, but one of them was known to her by reputation.

Ludo Bagman, a washed-out Quidditch player, compulsive gambler, cheater, and in general, a useless human being. He argued with another wizard, apparently, the other man wanted to bet something with Bagman, but the overweight wizards refused on not very clear grounds. He stuck to his guns, and refused the bet.

This provided a welcome two minutes distraction for Misato. She finished her sundae, and checked her watch.

Time to go.

* * *

_**Black Island  
Sirius Black Study** _

"Great Harry Potter's Dogfather?" Dobby asked.

Sirius put the papers back on the desk, he was getting to the heart of a very interesting knot of contracts and clauses, but his eyes were tired. He welcomed the interruption. "Yes, Dobby?"

"Traitorous rat is beings crying."

"What mirage is he in?" Sirius sat straight.

"Good one." The elf shuffled his feet. "He being muttering about regretting his choices, and swearing to go back to the Light."

Sirius smiled predatorily. "Good! Make sure to document everything he says. We will need it for the next round. Do you have the names?"

"Dobby gots them. Traitorous rat has sayings same names agains."

"Great! Let him rest for half an hour and then pass him to mirage one, James deserves the chance to put the fear of Lily in his shrivelled, tainted soul. And if James isn't here to do it, a Black potion can do the trick."

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
History Class** _

"…And so, the deciding factor for the Goblin rebellion of 1612 was the…"

Rei Ayanami barely listened to Professor Binns soporific speech. She had already read the pertinent chapter on the book. She wished the classroom had at least one window, watching the trees would be a nice distraction from the droning of the ghost in charge of the History Class.

Back in Tokyo-3, her almost eidetic memory had allowed her to maintain high grades, despite the frequent absences from school she was forced to accumulate, thanks to Commander Ikari, memory back-ups, and injuries suffered at the controls of Unit-00.

She had though herself immune to boredom, thanks to the way she had been raised, and the way their sensei at the Tokyo-3 school had been droning about life before Second Impact for years. However, the man had honestly cared for his students, even if his mind was stuck on a single subject, just as Binns was obsessed with Goblin Rebelions. But according to other students, Binns rarely collected homework, and his grading seemed to be based on being able to answer his very occasional questions, when the mood struck him.

Reading between the lines of the official version (the textbook), Rei had come to the conclusion that said Rebelions were mostly, caused by legitimate grievances against the Wizarding Government and its discriminatory laws.

And digging a bit deeper, the goblins usually won. After all, a victorious party _takes control_ of its enemy's resources. Therefore, Gringotts was actually the proof of the Goblin victory.

She decided to ask Professor Flitwick about the real status of the Goblin/Wizarding banking. According to Shinji, the half-goblin Professor of Charms was one of the most accessible people on the staff. Plus, having been sorted into Ravenclaw, Professor Flitwick was her own Head of House, which would help keep her questions under some privacy.

In the meanwhile, she decided to explore her limited metamorphmagus abilities. She looked at her hands, and gradually changed the shape of her fingers, making them longer or shorter. The shape of the nails was easy to change, but she couldn't form claws with them.

Only regular nails. She blinked twice. 'Only human shape.'

She tried something different, and a moment later, she slowly hid the knuckles of her left hand under the right. Feeling them, she touched an old woman's hand, with the bones deformed by arthritis. She felt some pain when she tried to move them; her hand was noticeably weak, and the cold air in the classroom made the bones hurt even more.

She concentrated, and her hand returned to her original shape, the pain passed, and she was able to close and open her fingers without any pain.

'Only human shape.' She repeated to herself. She would have to talk to Shinji about this.

If she was right, she was not a metamorphmagus at all!

* * *

_**Author Notes:** _

No, I am not contradicting myself with the Dementor+Chocolate scene. The Ministry is working from incomplete data. Harry did take a big risk with the Dementor, the chocolate alone wouldn't have stopped it, it would have merely repelled it for a few moments, giving Lupin time to cast his Patronus.

What destroyed the Dementor was a combo. The chocolate stimulates good feelings, that the Dementor's very nature destroys eventually. The true cause for the Dementor's destruction was a factor the Ministry has no idea was in play: the Horcrux.

It was a combination of positive and negative energies. Basically, the Dementor died of explosive indigestion.

Not even Harry can repeat the deed now.

So, sorry, No Cadbury Brigade in this story! This was a one-shot deal.

* * *

Now, about Rei; I didn't want to copy Quatermass' version of Rei in his story _Harry Potter and the Blue-Haired Angel_ , as his story was the main inspiration for this one.

His Rei has the power of all the Angels.

Here Rei carries with her the power of Humanity. She has only started to realize some of the possibilities.


	21. Chapter 21

_**A Big Puzzle With Some Moving Parts** _

* * *

Parenthesis indicate a language other than English, in this case Gobbledegook.

* * *

_**Hogwarts;  
Chamber of Secrets** _

"(The last containers are about to be sealed, Boss.)" Rendering Apprentice Swiftclaw reported.

"(All the bones have been properly cleaned and tagged?)" Rendering Vice-Boss Ripskin asked, rolling his big cigar from one side of his mouth to the other.

"(Yes, boss.)" The young goblin said smugly. "(Ready to be polished. Each bone has been prepared to the best of our capabilities here. We have images of every fang, ready for copying.)"

"(Good, good.)" Ripskin flicked the ash from his cigar into a small container. His wife used the ash for some rituals he was not privy to. Something to do with either fertility, or reinforcing dragon bondings to Gringotts, he wasn't really sure, maybe both. And she was quite willing to protect her secrets.

He packed the ash container, and addressed the crews. "(Renderers of Gringotts!)" All the goblins present raised their heads. "(Today, we return home! We return with not only the pride to have done our best, but also of having worked for one of the best! Our client, Lord Potter, authorized a nice bonus for swift work, and we shall receive it today!)"

The renderers raised their tools, which could, of course, do as weapons in a pinch. "(LORD POTTER! LORD POTTER!)" they chanted, punctuating their words with rhythmic clashing of their tools.

Ripskin raised his hands, asking for silence. "(Now, gather your tools, pack the bounty, clean this place, and prepare to depart! Maybe Lord Potter will want to use it. And we won't, WE WON'T, I HAVE SAID! leave this place unless it can be occupied immediately by Lord Potter! IS THAT CLEAR?)" he roared.

"(CLEAR, BOSS!)" they roared back.

"(Get to work!)" the renderers began to pack their stuff, quickly and efficiently. Once each goblin had packed, they took brooms, mops, brushes or cleaning rags, and buckets, and got to work.

Two hours later, the Chamber of Secrets had been practically disinfected. There was not a single speck of dust in sight. Marble had been polished, stone scrubbed, the filthy water in the channel had been drained, and replaced with clean water, obtained from a well hidden spring. It had been necessary to clear two obstructions, one that kept the old water in, and another to let fresh water in.

"(I can't believe the basilisk lived here since the time of the Founders…)" Swiftclaw mused.

"(It probably slept most of the time, if the amount of excrement we collected is any clue.)" Ripskin answered after a moment. "(Though it may have used some of the tunnels to get itself to the Forbidden Forest to hunt.)"

* * *

_**Gringotts  
Brokentooth's Office** _

"(Zachary Zonko is here, Sir.)" the secretary announced.

"(For a prankster, the man is quite punctual. Let him in, Bigmace.)"

The goblin bowed respectfully, and a moment later, he escorted an old wizard into the office. "Take a seat, wizard." He almost growled.

"Uh, yes, yes." Zonko looked around, impressed by the discreet opulence of the office. He sat in front of Brokentooth. The goblin was not impressed with the wizard's manners. Mentally, he shrugged. He had business to attend to.

"Mr. Zonko, do you know why you have been asked to come?"

"Um… No. I have no idea. I have paid my rent in time, the loan for supplies is not due for payment for another three months; and as far as I know, no one in my family has been sick recently."

Brokentooth looked at the wizard for a long moment. "Business are going reasonably well, I gather."

"Well… yes, but mine is a store that has its ups and its downs, you know; almost seasonal, we are just entering the school year, so we are close to the red ink. I expect we get well into black by the first Hogsmeade weekend."

"I'm aware of that." He shuffled some papers. "You have been summoned here to listen to a business proposal. One of our clients, who wished to remain anonymous, has interest in buying your store, stock and all."

"But Zonko's is my life! I… I…" he began to cough.

"Easy, Mr. Zonko. Here, drink some water." Brokentooth poured a glass of water from an ornate jug. The wizard accepted the glass, and drank noisily. Once the old wizard had recovered his breath, Brokentooth continued. "Now, before we proceed further, I will need you to sign a confidentiality contract." He pushed a piece of parchment towards the old man, who took it and read it carefully. It was simply a contract to not reveal whatever they discussed. Pretty standard confidentiality contract, so he signed. He was only required to not discuss the proposal, no other effects.

Still, he argued. "I just can't sell the store, times have been hard these last ten years, but…" he shook his head "I mean… Things are only getting better now, now that the New Children are at Hogwarts, they are buying again."

"Our client wants to help the next generation of pranksters, Mr. Zonko. They offer very generous terms. You'd do good to listen first, before deciding."

Zonko nodded, "Can I think about it?"

"Let me explain our client's wishes, and then you'll have three days to decide. If you decide not to sell, you will be free to continue as you see fit." He pushed a folder towards Zonko. "This contains a preliminary contract for the store, most clauses are negotiable, though there are a few items that our client is not willing to cede. I have full authority to haggle on our client's behalf. So every question or request goes through me. If for any reason, I can't answer any question of yours, I will contact our client and ask. Do you agree to negotiate with me?"

Zonko licked his lips, Brokentooth was, just by looking at his office, a very high ranking goblin. He had never dealt with a high ranked goblin, and he was more than a little nervous. "I guess there is no harm in listening to his offer…"

Brokentooth looked at him through narrowed eyes. " _Their_ offer, I am not allowed to discuss the gender, or even singularity or plurality of our client. Therefore, I will use the neutral ' _They_ '." He showed a couple of teeth in an intimidatory display. Once his point had been made, he continued. "Now, let me explain our client's proposal. Everything is in the preliminary contract, so I'll be brief. Our client wishes to be a silent partner of your store. They will pay for supplies, rent of the building, and reasonable expenses for renewal of structure and furniture, should it be needed. They will also pay you and your staff a reasonable salary; even if, for any circumstance out of your control, the store has to close temporarily. You will be required to phase out some merchandise, this is _not negotiable_. Our client finds some of your items either offensive or borderline abusive." Zonko opened his mouth to protest, but Brokentooth raised a hand, "You will be required to develop and sell replacements for this merchandise, subject to approval. Our client will buy the current stock of these item at the current prices, according to your current Owl Catalog." Brokentooth raised his eyes from his notes. "You will _not_ make more of these items in the meanwhile. The list of objectionable items will only be released to you if you sell."

Zonko closed his mouth again, getting rid of a chunk of his inventory in one move would be very helpful to the store's finances. Brokentooth continued. "At the end of Hogwarts school year, our client will recommend between one and five Hogwarts students for a summer apprenticeship under your tutelage. You will receive an extra amount of galleons for each, plus a bonus for each apprentice who successfully demonstrate pertinent abilities in the preparation of pranking articles, be they potions, candy, or other objects. Material required for the teaching and practice will be paid by our client. You will provide a list of said material, appropriate for one apprentice, at the latest, two weeks before the Summer Holiday begins. Our client will procure said material, and have it delivered to your door."

"But… what about my patents?"

"Each student will swear a confidentiality oath, under their parents or guardians approval, and won't be allowed to make and or sell these articles without your express, written approval."

"These terms are valid for as long as you are in charge of the store. Our client knows you are not exactly young, and offers you a very generous retirement plan. After the first year of this arrangement, if you accept it, you can keep working on new articles, or mind the store if you want. You are the face of Zonko's, and our client wants to preserve that image for as long as possible."

Zachary Zonko leaned back on the chair, thinking.

He had no idea that quite a few other business in Diagon Alley, and indeed, all over Magical Britain, would receive very similar offers in the next few months.

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Headmaster's Office** _

Headmaster Dumbledore sat on his elaborate chair, sucking on a lemon drop, when a chime announced the arrival of a visitor. It was Professor McGonagall. He allowed her entry.

The Transfiguration teacher sat on the visitor's chair. "Oh, Albus, it is awful!"

"Minerva, what happened?" he asked, his grandfatherly persona emerging immediately.

"Miss Perks! She had an accident, I was about to write her parents, asking why she had not arrived in the Hogwarts Express." With trembling hands, she passed a paper sheet to Dumbledore. "Then, her owl arrived, look!"

Dumbledore took the muggle paper, and read it quickly. "Oh, goodness! This is grave!"

* * *

A few minutes later, Dumbledore apparated to a Muggle hospital. He asked in reception, but a short, slim woman, with black hair and bags under her eyes, called out to him before he could do much to break the Statute of Secrecy with his mismatched clothing copied from a 1940's catalog. "Professor! Glad to see you!"

She guided Dumbledore to a secluded place. "What happened, Mrs. Perks? We just got notice about Ms. Perks, and I came as soon as possible."

"It was horrible, Professor…" she sniffed. "There was an accident. Sally and Patty, a friend from our building, were out to take a walk, and a lorry lost control… and…"

"I see." Dumbledore said gravely.

"Poor Sally managed to push Patty away, but the lorry…" Mrs. Perks choked a sob.

"Here, drink this, Mrs. Perks." He gave her a small potion vial. Even though it had been decades since the last time he had to give the Hogwarts Talk to a muggle parent, he still carried one Calming Draught with him whenever he had to deal with Muggle parents. "It will calm you a bit."

The woman nodded, and took a small sip of the vial. Immediately, some of the tension in her shoulders dissipated. "The… the lorry hit Sally, Patty called an ambulance. Brave girl, she thought Sally was dead, but the paramedics managed to stabilize her, and they got here just in time. The doctors, they had to operate immediately. Her heart stopped in surgery."

"My condolences, Mrs. Perks." He said sadly.

"Oh, no, Professor, the doctors managed to resuscitate her. But poor Sally had another heart attack before the surgery ended. We thank God her heart responded again. She's in the ICU. Doctor Throughton says she has a good chance to recover completely, but she will need months of therapy to recover." Mrs. Perks sobbed sadly. "Oh, God, it was as if she was born again, three times in the same day!”

This shook Dumbledore out of his stupor. Could Muggle medicine have advanced so much in his lifetime? Enough to bring back a person from the jaws of death? But the most important thing was that, apparently, Sally-Ann Perks was a _Thrice Born Maid_! (1)

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Divination Class** _

After preparing and drinking their tea, the students began to try and interpret the shapes in the dregs.

For once, Harry had not partnered with Ron Weasley. The redheaded boy had decided to sit with Dean Thomas. Somewhat relieved of not having to deal with Ron's temper, Harry was now partnered with Hermione.

"Hmm…" she tried to compare the shapes to the table in the book, while Harry did the same.

"Oh," he said. "This looks like a coin!"

Immediately, Hermione looked for the meaning. "Weird, it says here I will get some wealth."

Harry smirked. "That would be good, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't know why would I get money. I don't even play the lottery…" she shook her head, "Now, let me see yours." She tried to find an image in Harry's cup. "Hmm… this looks like an animal…"

"Well," Harry scratched his head, "I made friends with a big black dog during the Holidays. Quite a silly thing, you know. He always wants to play around."

When she head 'big black dog' Trelawney got close to the pair. "Let me be the judge of that, my dear." She looked at the dregs, a section Hermione had not yet identified an image, and gasped. "The falcon! Dear boy, you have a mortal enemy!"

"But, Professor, everybody knows about Harry and You-Know-Who…"

"Shh, dear." Trelawney kept examining the cup. "The Skull… The Grim... Oh, my! This is not a happy cup, there is danger in your path…" everybody was looking at them. Neville's cup slipped from his hand, but Shinji managed to catch it before it broke; he put it back on the saucer. But couldn't keep from looking at it, there was something at the bottom of the cup that looked like a beehive. He took mental note to check that later (2).

At the end of the class, Both Harry and Shinji were somewhat confused. Harry's cup had shown an augury of death, the Grim. But they knew it would actually represent Sirius Black's animagus form. Trelawney examined the cup attentively. But at the end dismissed the results as too confusing, and cited "possible interference form the lack of an Inner Eye in Miss Granger."

Shinji's results were even more confusing. There were omens of both an early death, and a long life. Of strife and pain (Shinji agreed with that one; but for him, hopefully they were in the past), helplessness and great power.

Hermione's were, well... strange. She would find the love of her life very soon. Twice.

Trelawney shook her head, and dismissed the class.

* * *

_**Author Notes:** _

This had been planned from the moment Dumbledore heard the Second Prophecy. As Sally-Ann Perks disappears after her Sorting in 1991, and isn't mentioned in the list of students who will do their O.W.L. test, it is theorized that something happened to her. In this case, she will not attend classes this year. And will be closely watched by Dumbledore.

I am not really familiar with tea leaves reading, but I found a few meanings. The beehive means that new possibilities are at hand, along with new ways of thinking. Also, hard work will be involved. Quite appropriate for Neville, I think.


	22. Chapter 22

_**Did You See That?** _

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Charms Class** _

"Most interesting, Miss Ayanami." Professor Flitwick adjusted his spectacles over his nose. The class was absolutely silent for a few seconds, Professor Flitwick had asked Rei for a demonstration of the Knockback Jinx, resulting on a dummy crashing noisily against one of the walls of the classroom. "I see Mahoutokoro has a different approach to this spell. Still, it gives the desired result. To be honest, I only expected the dummy to be, well... knocked down, not thrown to the other side of the room."

"The words are very close in meaning, Professor Flitwick, for practical purposes about this spell, they are equivalent." Rei lowered her wand to her side, "Back in Japan, we just say the equivalent to _Push Away_ , instead of _Flipendo_. There is a subtle difference, but the end result is more or less the same. As long as the intention is present and directed by an act of will."

"Well said, Miss Ayanami. Five points to Ravenclaw for a well explained comparison." He turned back towards the rest of the class. "Now, Miss Ayanami's demonstration leads us to a very interesting discussion about magic. The most important part in any spell you cast is not the words, not even the movements of your wand, it is simple intention. Words and movement are key to harness the power of magic in a safe way. You can have the most perfect enunciation and wand movement, but without the intention, there won't be any results."

The class continued. Professor Flitwick decided to keep the dummy as it was, as an objective lesson, to show his other classes what a variant _Knockback Jinx_ could do, when it was powered by enough intention.

Later that day, Cho Chang looked at the pieces of the dummy, and decided not to make Ayanami angry. Ever.

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Transfiguration Class** _

Even though they knew what Trelawney's words actually meant, Harry and Shinji were a bit more shocked than they tried to look like. Not about her predictions about Harry, but about her words to Shinji.

Harry didn't know what they meant, but just the fact that they had hit Shinji worried him.

Hermione was a bit surprised at her friend. Harry usually was a very private person. And it was hard for him to make friends, yet it seemed he had accepted Shinji as one in a single day! In turn, Ron's attitude the last two days was distancing him from her and Harry. She knew Ron was very proud and jealous, and the last thing she needed was to complicate her already busy schedule with personality conflicts.

Meanwhile, Ron was still with Dean Thomas, at the back of the classroom, while Professor McGonagall lectured about Animagi. And even demonstrated what she meant, transforming herself into her tabby cat form. Not receiving the expected reactions, she returned to her human form, and asked, "Really, what's gotten into you all today? Not that it matters, but it's the first time my transformation has not gotten an applause."

Nobody said anything, but several students turned to look at Harry; and a few, at Shinji.

It was Parvati who raised her hand. "It's… hum, Professor McGonagall… we just come from Divination Class, and…"

"I see. Now, who is the unfortunate student who will die a most painful death this year?" She almost rolled her eyes.

Harry raised his hand. "I got several images in my teacup that hinted that I have a dangerous enemy lurking around, so, I guess she meant it was me. And Shinji is gonna lose an eye."

"I see, the two-for-one special offer? It's been _years_ since the last time she predicted two gruesome fates to the same class, and they were twins. So far, none of this select group has died, not even been grievously harmed. So you two will not be excused from homework." She pursed her lips before continuing. "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic, and a true seer is rare." She then considered the matter closed. "Now, shall we continue?"

The class nodded.

Professor McGonagall couldn't help but notice that somehow, Trelawney might have nailed it. Probably by simple chance.

Harry did have a dangerous enemy.

Sirius Black.

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Charms Class** _

At the end of the class, Professor Flitwick asked Rei to stay a couple of minutes, "I assure you, Miss Ayanami; you are not in any kind of trouble, I just want to ask you a couple of questions."

Rei nodded, and asked, "Could you give me a slip for my next class? I do not want a tardiness mark, Professor Flitwick."

"Of course, Miss Ayanami." Immediately, he put quill to parchment. "Here you go. Now, I couldn't help but notice the workmanship of your wand, very unusual. May I see it more closely?" he adjusted his eyeglasses over his nose.

Rei blinked twice, and pulled her wand from its holster, keeping it in the palm of her hand. "Here it is, Professor." Flitwick didn't take it, just looked at it carefully.

"Amazing work! I had never seen this kind of finish. I can't even recognize the wood it is made of." He looked at her, curiosity sparkling in his eyes. "Miss Akagi has a beautiful wand too, with small cherry blossoms carved on the wood, but yours is both more simple and more complex."

"Akagi?" She had not expected to find that name in England, of all places.

"A Seventh Year Gryffindor, Sakura Akagi. Not particularly gifted in Charms, but amazing with Arithmancy, I've been told." (1)

"I see. I wonder if she's related to an acquaintance from Japan." Could there be a doppelganger of Ritsuko or Naoko Akagi in this world, she wondered.

"Who knows? You would have to ask her. She´s a Gryffindor. Seventh Year." Flitwick shrugged, and continued examining Rei's wand. "Very curious shape… Like two spirals twisting around each other. And those two sharp prongs at the base… is there any particular meaning?"

Rei wasn't willing to explain about Longinus' Lance to anybody in this universe, so she simply said, "There might be a meaning I am not aware of. The design is very old. But not well known."

"And the wood?"

Rei hesitated for a brief moment. "Vine and yew, one for each spiral."

Flitwick paled for a moment. "A portentous combination… After seeing your prowess with the _Knockback Jinx_ , I would have expected a cherry wood wand. I am sure you must have been top of your class in Mahoutokoro." he wiped his forehead. "Could you tell me what the core is, if it's not too much to ask?"

"Thestral hair. Freely given."

"Oh, my… you have a very unusual wand, Miss Ayanami."

"It has been said so before."

"Well… I don't want to keep you from your next class."

"I would appreciate if you keep this to yourself, Professor."

"Of course, Miss Ayanami, my lips are sealed." He recovered his composure, adjusting his robes with a sharp movement. "Thank you."

Rei bowed respectfully, turned around, and left the classroom, her slip in hand.

While the next class arrived, Flitwick wiped his forehead again. ' _Vine and yew…together, two of the rarest woods for a wand…_ ' he shuddered. He had an ominous feeling about Miss Ayanami's wand. He would have to check his _Wandlore Through the World_ book to be sure, but if he was right…

If he was right, Miss Ayanami would grow to be a very powerful witch, and very dangerous to cross. (2)

He resolved to do everything in his power to guide her to be a force for good. For the moment, he better pay attention to his next class.

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Argus Filch's Office** _

"What the hell do you want, Lupin?" Hogwarts caretaker grumbled, lowering his paper.

"I want a confiscated object, Filch." Remus Lupin answered, a bit more testy than usual, but the lack of sleep was having an impact in his behaviour.

"Back for your old toys, uh? Couldn't wait for a day more?" Filch stood up, some beligerancy in his movements. His cat, Mrs. Norris, hissed at Lupin from behind a chair. Lupin paid no attention to her, though Filch scratched behind her ears, without taking his eyes off Lupin, just in case he decided to try something. "I guess now that you're part of the faculty, you'll demand I return all your stuff, uh?"

"No." Lupin sighed. "You were right to confiscate those things."

Filch stared at him for a long moment. Finally, he snorted sarcastically.

Lupin continued. "I just want the piece of blank parchment you took from Peter. That's the only thing I want back. You still have it?"

Filch snorted again. "I put it with everything else. Must be somewhere here." He walked towards the back of the cluttered room. When Lupin tried to follow him, Filch glared at him. "You'll wait here. I'll get the damn thing myself."

Mrs. Norris jumped to the top of a cabinet, and glared at the DADA teacher with the same intensity of her master.

Several minutes passed, Lupin leaned back onto Filch's desk, while the cat watched him like a hawk. He could have sworn the cat was an Auror animagus, watching a suspect. Waiting for the right moment to pounce. In case of the cat, literally.

Minutes later, Filch returned. "It's not here." He growled.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! I know where everything is in this place."

Lupin passed a hand over his hair. "If you find it, let me know. I have to pick up a crate at Hogsmeade."

"Yeah, sure." Filch sat again and continued his reading. "I'll look for it when I have time."

Only after Lupin had gone, he stood up again, and began a meticulous search for the missing parchment. "Could'a sworn I put it here…" He shrugged and began to empty the drawer. It was marked " _Confiscated and Highly Dangerous_ ". It would be a long process, as some of the magical items stored there could get very volatile with time.

Mrs. Norris watched him from her place on the cabinet.

* * *

_**London** _

_**The Spiral Shell  
(Horace Slughorn's House)  
Dining Room  
** _

The retired, and very rotund, Professor Horace Eugene Flaccus Slughorn, was busy at his table, still working methodically on his breakfast, a pantagruelic banquet by any standard. The capacity of his stomach could only be compared to Ronald Weasley's in later years. But his table manners were impeccable.

A ding brought his attention out of his favourite dessert, crystalized pineapple. "Bigby? Let the mail owls in, please." He said. "And be so kind to give them some treats before sending them back, will you?"

In another room, an old house elf snapped his fingers, and a flock of very different owls entered the hothouse at the back of the house. Bigby proceeded to pop there, and take the envelopes and small or shrunk packages they carried.

Once the owls had been properly rewarded for their service, Bigby checked each and every envelope and package, looking for any spells, potions, poisons, or any other thing that could disturb his master's digestion.

By the time Slughorn finished his dessert, Bigby was ready to deliver the mail. He put it on his master's desk, to be read at his pleasure.

* * *

Eventually, Slughorn found a letter from one of his best students. "Bernard Cribbins! Oh, goodness! It's been years since last I heard of him!"

He opened the letter, and began to read. "Hmm… Hmm… Oh. Poor kid." He tapped his fingers over the surface of the desk. "Good student… maybe I can offer him a part-time job in the meanwhile…"

He took a quill and parchment, and began to compose his answer. _"Hello, Mr. Cribbins."_ He wrote. _"In answer to your letter, I must sadly inform you that, for the time being, I haven't heard of any employer in need of your most excellent services. I'll ask some friends, immediately. I know it is below your capabilities, as you were a very apt student, but I do find myself in need of a competent helper for preparing ingredients for a side-business I delve into from time to time."_

He then detailed his needs and offer of payment. It wasn't much, but it would coast Cribbins while his Slug Club contacts found a proper job for the man.

" _Hopefully, this will help you pass the time while a worthy job manifests."_

_And he signed with a flourish. "Your friend and mentor, H. E. F. Slughorn. P.M. "_

He folded the sheet of parchment, pressed some sealing wax with his signet ring, and rang a silver bell. Bigby popped in a second later. "Bigby, send these letters with the evening owl."

The elf bowed, took the letters, and popped off.

* * *

_**Author Notes:** _

(1) There is a Sakura Akagi in the PS2 game for _Prisoner of Azkaban_ , but there is very little information about her. For this fic, she is a remote relative of Ritsuko Akagi. She has never met anybody from that branch of the family, as her own family has been living in England for several generations. And yes, if she was a muggle, she would be working with computers.

(2) According to the data I found, vine wands are very unusual, their owners tend to look for a greater purpose, have a vision beyond the ordinary, and astound even those who think they know them best. Hermione Granger's wand is made of vine.  
Yew is even rarer; they tend to match with unusual individuals. And to top it off, yew wands are reputed to endow the owner with power over life and death. A yew wand will never choose a mediocre or timid owner. Both Voldemort and Ginny Weasley had yew wands.  
Thestral hair is not used by Olivander (who only uses dragon heartstring, unicorn hair, and phoenix feather for the cores of his wands), possibly because a wand with this kind of core can only be mastered by somebody who is able to face death.


	23. Chapter 23

_**Saving-People-Thing Hurts**_

* * *

Parenthesis indicate a language other than English, in this case Gobbledegook.

* * *

 _**Hogwarts Great Hall,  
** _ _**Gryffindor Table  
** _ _**Lunch Time** _

After Transfiguration class, the Gryffindor students went back to their tables to eat and socialize. Still angry, Ron Weasley sat well away from Harry and Hermione. Somehow, he managed to sulk, pout and stuff his face at the same time, much to the chagrin of the students who normally were not in his area of effect.

At the middle of the long table, a small group chatted amicably. The Divination lesson still in her mind, Parvati Patil asked, "So then, Harry, you met a big black dog?", her big eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Well, yes;" he answered, while he put some meat on his plate, "it's big and black. A bit of a stray, but very friendly and playful. Not grim at all, only looks like one."

Next to him, Shinji had some problems with the menu. He was not a vegetarian, like his sister, but Hogwarts food tended to be more greasy than he liked. He finally chose a couple of pieces of chicken, and roasted potatoes. The pumpkin juice, he left it alone. "Could I have some water, please?" he said, holding the goblet a couple of inches over the table. A moment later, his goblet filled with clear, cool water. "Thank you."

Hermione looked at him curiously. "Wow… I didn't know you could do that."

Shinji smiled at her, "Actually, I was not sure it would work." He shrugged.

Hermione sat straighter and primly asked for water. "I think I will drink more water from now on." She nodded to herself.

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Headmaster's Office** _

The Sorting Hat watched attentively at the only human occupant of the office, Albus Dumbledore, while the old man crafted a set of bronze trinkets. Next to him, on the cluttered surface of the desk, rested a couple of vials containing a red fluid. Using a small brush, he painted a diminutive symbol on the surface of each trinket.

On a small table, next to his desk, the lunch provided by the Hogwarts elves waited. Magic kept it from going cold, but it would be a long time before the Headmaster finished his work. There were a lot of trinkets to activate, after all.

The Sorting Hat watched silently as the man worked. He knew the silver trinkets tracked Harry Potter. His health, location, emotions, and many other things. Now Dumbledore was doing the same spells, undoubtedly to keep track of somebody else. Maybe the girl who was always close to Potter?

Inside its own mind, the Sorting Hat sighed, and began to plan the song it would sing next year. The thinking cap hoped that after long years, finally somebody listened to its message, and began to lay bridges between the four Houses of Hogwarts.

* * *

_**Hogsmeade Train Station** _

Professor Remus Lupin directed a par of delivery wizards to load a big crate on a carriage. The shortest of the two levitated the crate up about five feet high, while the other, pushed the crate towards the carriage.

On the way up, the crate shook violently. "Holy Merlin, man!" The short wizard exclaimed, "What in the name of Merlin's soggy socks do you have in there?"

Lupin grinned tiredly, while directing the wizards so they could load the crate on the carriage, "Educational subjects."

The two wizards exchanged a brief look, "Kinda glad I'm not at school anymore." One said.

"Yeah…" said the other. "I don't know what's in here. But the hairs at the back of my neck are standing up ..."

"Can't the elves get this thing to Hogwarts, professor?"

"Unfortunately, no. This delivery cannot travel safely through magical ways. No apparition, portkeys, nor floo. It has to be moved the old way."

Both delivery wizards stepped back from the crate, levitating it until Lupin manages to push it into place. As soon as the crate settled down, the new Hogwarts professor secured it with conjured chains. The crate shook violently on last time.

"And that will be all, gentlemen. Thank you." Lupin paid the men for their work, sat on the driver's seat, snapped the reins, and the skeletal horse-like creature began to walk, dragging the carriage behind it.

He looked at his pocket watch. "Just enough time to get this into the classroom." He whispered. He would have liked to hurry up, but the boggart inside the crate could get too aggressive, and he wanted to have a good first class experience, especially as his first class would be one with his quasi-nephew. His thoughts wandered back to Sirius, and after a long chain of mostly disconnected thoughts and ideas, he resolved to not subject Harry to the boggart's ability. He didn't want to expose him, or the rest of the class, to what surely was Harry's worst fear.

Lord Voldemort himself.

Or… maybe Sirius Black? Surely the boy would have seen the "Wanted" posters, and the articles in The Prophet.

And to be honest, Remus Lupin wasn't sure if he could handle seeing Sirius' face again, after his betrayal.

No, it would be best to let that sleeping d… dragon lie.

* * *

_**Hogwarts, Great Hall  
Ravenclaw Table.** _

"Your brother looks a bit sad." Luna whispered.

Rei looked towards the Gryffindor Table. "His temperament tends towards melancholic." She declared, simply and truthfully.

"Maybe we should go eat lunch with him." Luna stood up, and almost dragged Rei behind her. The taller girl just went with the flow of her friend's pull.

A moment later, both were sitting next to Shinji, Rei to his right, Luna to his left. She smiled at him, while Rei watched with curiosity. The rebellious strand of hair standing up in attention, like an antenna.

Shinji was a bit nervous. Thanks to his readings, he knew Luna was a bit strange, always in her own little world, but also was very loyal and brave. Her eyes were an amazing silvery colour. A bit protuberant, but still very beautiful. He felt he could lose himself in her eyes, and quickly averted his own.

The moment broke, and they sat silent for a few awkward seconds. She smiled at him. "Have you ever seen an Heliopath? You feel like they have burned close to you."

Unlike most of Hogwarts students, Shinji wouldn't discard her ideas, just because they were somewhat strange. "I am not sure…" He remembered the Fifth Angel. The one that looked like a perfect eight-faced diamond.

As he remembered, Luna's eyes studied him. "No. Not like that. Heliopaths are much smaller than that." She said, snapping Shinji out from his memories. "I would like to hear about that creature later, if you want, there must be very interesting creatures over there in Japan. I never heard of such a thing, and Daddy will want to know about it too, I'm sure. Oh!" while Shinji was still processing her words, she suddenly turned to Harry, "I'm sorry, I almost forgot." She brought out an envelope from her bookbag, and gave it to him. "Daddy sent me your copy of The Quibbler, along with the subscription form. I couldn't find you after breakfast."

"It's okay, Luna. We were in a bit of a hurry then." He put the magazine in his own bag. "I'll read it after homework today. Thank you."

Luna smiled happily.

Shinji realized then that Rei and Hermione were talking animatedly. Well… Hermione was her usual curious self, while Rei answered her questions with unfailing courtesy. Despite the rapid-fire of Hermione's questions, Rei answered them in exactly the same order. It was clear Rei was probably the only person at Hogwarts able to memorize Hermione's words while the Third Year bombarded her with questions!

* * *

Soon, lunchtime was over, Luna and Rei went back to the Ravenclaw Table, after agreeing Shinji, Harry and Hermione would return the visit at dinner time. Harry checked his timetable, while Hermione looked inside her bookbag. "Well, let's see what Hagrid has prepared for us." She said.

Several of their fellow students groaned. Parvati was the one to put their thoughts to words. "I don't know, but I'm sure it will be _not_ fluffy and cuddly."

Shinji and Harry exchanged a look. Both thought the same thing: Hippogriffs.

* * *

_**Close to Hagrid's Hut  
Care of Magical Creatures Class.** _

The combined class of Gryffindors and Slytherins walked down to Hagrid's Hut, each House students kept to their own housemates, in separate groups. Daphne Greengrass and a few other Slytherins had a smug smile on their faces. The blonde nodded minutely at Harry, who noted that Malfoy and his minions were not smiling. In fact, Malfoy had some marks on his right hand, suspiciously similar to a bite mark. Interestingly, the teeth were set on a straight line.

Hagrid stood by the door of his home, waving enthusiastically to the students. "C'mon! Got a real treat fer yeh today! No ev'rybody, follow me!"

The half-giant guided the group to a kind of paddock, but it was empty. "Ev'ryone gather 'round the fence! I wan' ev'rybody to see! Now, firs'thing yeh'll wanna do is ta open yer books"

"How?" drawled Malfoy, petulant as always.

A few steps to his left, Daphne Greengrass, arched an eyebrow, and answered before Hagrid could say a word, "You have to stroke the spine, Malfoy. It is just like a cat. Pay attention." She proceeded to scratch the spine of her book, while next to her, Tracy Davis and a couple of other Slytherins did the same.

Malfoy looked around, and realized that most of the Gryffindors had their books open. He hurried to do the same, while promising himself Greengrass would regret her tone.

"Yeh are right Miss Greengrass, five points to Slytherin." Hagrid cleared his throat. "Now, yeh have yer books, now we need da Magical Creatures. Wait here while I go get'em."

From the other end of the group, Ron Weasley enjoyed Malfoy's grimace. But it was not the same without Harry. Or even Hermione. For a moment, he thought of simply going back to them as if nothing had happened, but he didn't had to, right? It was Harry who would have to come to him. It served him right to lose him as a friend, if he wanted to fraterunize with slimy snakes!

Before long, Lavender Brown ' _Ooohed_ ,' when she saw Hagrid come back followed by a dozen of strange beasts, each one safely secured by a collar and a heavy chain. They looked like somebody had joined half a horse and a giant eagle in a single body.

Hermione flipped the pages of her book, looking for the right entry. "Hippogriffs… Hippogriffs…" she said to herself. "Ah! Here it is!" proudly, she held her book open in the right page, showing it to Harry.

"So, who wanna go firs'?" Hagrid asked, a big smile on his face. There were no volunteers for a moment. Harry and Shinji exchanged a look, and Harry took a step forward. "What do I do, Hagrid?"

"Now, firs' thing yeh have ta know, Harry, is that hippogriffs are very proud, easy to offend they are. Don't yeh ever insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do. Always let da hippogriff do the firs' move. Be polite." He put a big hand on Harry's shoulder, to reassure the boy. "Yeh walk toward him, bow, and den yeh wait fer him to bow back befor' he allows yeh to touch him. If he doesn't bow, don' do any sudden moves, and get back slowly. Keep yer eyes down."

At the back, Malfoy whispered something to his bookends. They were surely planning on how to disrupt the class, provoking the hippogriff and making Hagrid look bad.

* * *

_**Gringotts  
Brokentooth's Office** _

Brokentooth and Ripskin relaxed for a few minutes at Brokentooth's office. Both smoked celebratory cigars. They had finally tallied the basilisk's harvest, and the shares had gone well over their most optimistic calculations.

Harry Potter's Account Manager shook a bit of ash in his ashtray, watching it disappear with a satisfied smirk. "(We are going to have to keep the availability on the low for a few months, that snake was a record setter.)" He exhaled a cloud of smoke. "(I have already ordered the payments for you and your crew, Ripskin, with Lord Potter's compliments.)"

"(Oh, yes. I know. The boys will be very happy to receive their Galleons. Lord Potter will have no motive to complain. He has made a very happy platoon of renderers.)"

"(When will you depart for your next assignment?)"

Ripskin blew a mouthful of smoke before answering, "(In three days. Today, we rest. Tomorrow, we organize our trip to Albania. I need some time to arrange our travel documents, and the equipment we will use. Escape-proof cages, man-catchers, the like, but as Lord Potter wants us to catch that snake of his alive and unharmed, we need to make sure our tools will not wound, but still secure the prey. But that will wait until tomorrow. Right now, I want to go home, and take a long soak. I smell like basilisk guts. And I don't like to feel this tasty.)"

Both goblins laughed heartily.

* * *

_**Care of Magical Creatures Class.** _

Despite knowing roughly how things would go, Harry felt his heart beat savagely against his ribs. Approaching a magical beast with razor-sharp beak and talons was not something he was really prepared for. But he trusted in the advice of both Hagrid and Shinji.

Soon, he was stroking the fine feathers of Buckbeak's neck.

Hagrid's eyes shone with joy, and a wide smile could be seen under his beard. "Well done, Harry! Yer a natural! Ten points to Gryffindor! He might even let yeh ride him!"

Even through his trepidation, Harry realized he was curious enough to do it. Ever since the long talk at the ghostly King's Cross Station, he had wondered how it would feel to fly with real wings. Obeying every one of Hagrid's instructions to the letter, soon Harry felt the rush of air against his face. He gripped the animal's neck, taking care not to hurt him.

A few minutes and an exhilarating flight later, they landed back at the paddock. Harry managed to dismount with a minimum of grace, bowed deeply to the hippogriff, and walked backwards to the fence.

Soon, most students tried to replicate Harry's actions. Both Hermione and Parvati were the first to succeed, and caressed the feathers of the smallest of the group, probably a juvenile, chestnut in colour.

Neville had to walk back from the one he had approached. Apparently, the young Longbottom was offending the beast, somehow. Not enough for it to attack, fortunately.

Shinji followed Hagrid's instructions, and managed to approach a dark brown hippogriff.

Just as expected, Malfoy had to cause problems. He had managed to approach successfully to Buckbeak, but as soon as he had done so, he began to insult him.

It happened in a flash. Malfoy screamed, and steely talons struck, cutting deeply. Hagrid wrestled Buckbeak as the beast strained to get at Malfoy, who lay on the ground covered with blood.

Harry was paralyzed, for a single moment, the image of Shinji jumping between Buckbeak and Malfoy seared itself into his eyes. His friend had pushed Malfoy away from Buckbeak's talons, receiving the wound meant for Malfoy.

The spurt of blood, the sound of flesh tearing... For a moment that was longer than it should have been, Harry watched as Shinji and Malfoy slowly fell to the ground, as if they were moving through molasses, Malfoy's face frozen in surprise, while Shinji's was set in both pain and resignation. Suddenly, a big, dark shadow seemed to appear from thin air, catching Buckbeak, and stopping the next attack. Things resumed their normal speed then, and Harry realized Hagrid had intervened. Only his great strenght and resistance had allowed him to stop the rampaging beast before it killed somebody.

"Harry! Neville!" Hagrid yelled, looking over his shoulder, "Drag'em away! Hurry!"

Galvanized by the urgency in the normally affable Groundskeeper´s voice, both Gryffindors did as ordered, Harry dragged the blond boy back to the fence, while a very pale Neville dragged Shinji, and Hagrid finally managed to control Buckbeak. "Class is over!" he said through clenched teeth. "Ev'rybody back to yer Common Rooms!"

Harry was already checking the wound. "Damn, Shinji! Are you okay?" Mentally, he kicked himself for asking such a dumb question. Of course Shinji was definitively not okay, there were three long and deep gashes on his right arm, and his blood flowed freely to the ground.

For a moment, Shinji looked at Harry as if he couldn't understand him, his eyes were almost all pupil now, looking black instead of blue. "It hurts…" he whispered, his voice was coarse and weak. Hagrid crouched low, quickly putting aside the tattered ribbons of his robe to have a clear look at the wounds. The sleeve was nothing but strips of cloth. The former EVA pilot was quite pale, but Hagrid was even whiter. Quickly, the half-giant scooped the boy in his arms, and ran to the Hospital Wing; followed closely by Harry, Neville, and Hermione.

Malfoy and his two bookends stayed behind for a moment, shocked at the swift violence of an attacking hippogriff.

* * *

_**Author Notes:** _

I’m very close to syncing this version with the original in FFN, so the updates will not be as frequent. I will be uploading other stories too. Especially Stranger Visitations, which is one of my favorite stories to write, even though I’m a bit blocked at the moment. 


	24. Chapter 24

_**Healing, Letters, and Rumours.** _

* * *

_**Hogwarts Hospital Wing** _

"Madam Pomphrey!" Hagrid almost tore down the door as he hurried to carry his student into the Hospital Wing.

The stern medi-witch turned around. "Not so soon! I just released Potter this very morning!" quickly, she hurried to let Hagrid deposit the student on a bed. After the giant, three other students looked at her with wide eyes. To her surprise, one of them was Harry Potter himself; the presence of Hermione Granger was no surprise, but instead of Ron Weasley, the other component of the Golden Trio, it was Neville Longbottom who was here instead.

She shook her head, there were more important things to attend right now.

With amazing care, Hagrid put the student on the iron-frame bed. The same bed Harry Potter usually occupied in his frequent visits to the Hospital Wing. She began to cast diagnostic spells. "What happened, Hagrid? Anybody else hurt?" her eyes flickered towards Longbottom's blood-soaked robes.

Hesitantly, Neville pulled his robes out, finally noticing he was covered in blood. "N-no… I'm fine. It… it… it's not mine, I'm fine, really. How are you?"

Madam Pomphrey looked at him with kind eyes. "You're babbling, dear. Sit there and let me see what can I do for your friend, okay?" She jerked her head towards the chairs at the end of the room. Hermione grabbed his shoulders, and gently guided him there.

Meanwhile, Harry stared in morbid fascination as the medi-witch worked. He had been there enough times to know he shouldn't get in the way.

Madam Pomphrey studied the results of her diagnostic spell. "He has lost an awful amount of blood." She interrupted herself, "Hagrid! Stand back! Let me work, please."

"Yes, yes…" Hagrid stepped back. "'S just tha'…" he wiped his face with one of his enormous hands, not realizing he still had blood on it, staining his beard.

Harry pulled him by the other hand. "Lets not get in the way, Hagrid." He pushed the half-giant towards the rest of the group. "Can I help you, Madam Pomphrey?"

She hesitated for a moment, looking into his eyes. She decided quickly. Potter had been a frequent visitor, and he had a surprising calm demeanour to him. Not callous, just... accepting the situation and keeping his wits tightly controlled. "Go to the potion cabinet, bring me a Flesh-Mending Ointment, a Blood Replenishing Potion, and three Calming Draughts. Are you familiar with them?"

"Yes." He hurried to the cabinet, and a moment later, he was passing the bottles to the medi-witch.

Pomphrey emptied a vial of Calming Draught into Shinji's mouth, "This will help you with the pain, Mr..?"

"Ikari." Harry offered, "Shinji Ikari. He's new at Hogwarts."

She nodded her thanks to Harry. "Mr. Ikari, I need you to swallow the potion. I know the taste is bad, but it will help you."

His head jerked in a brusque nod, and immediately did as asked. Poppy Pomphrey had thought she would have to force him to drink; he was in a lot of pain, and almost in shock due to both the pain and the loss of blood. "Potter, open the ointment jar, and be ready to apply it as soon as I vanish the sleeve. Put it around the wounds first, then push it onto and over them until they are completely covered, understood? I'll keep the wounds from bleeding too much in the meanwhile."

Harry nodded, obeying her instructions. He already knew magical potions, ointments and pastes had a weird sterilizing effect. There would be no risk of infection.

A moment later, Shinji's arm was bare, showing three long gashes, running almost along the length of his whole arm. Madam Pomphrey's wand traced a complex pattern over Shinji's arm. There was some bleeding, but it wasn't the constant flow it had been until then.

Neville chose that moment to faint, almost falling on Hagrid's lap. Hermione managed to keep him from falling down, and Hagrid helped her to keep Neville on the chair.

Harry began to apply the ointment around the wounds, pushing it to cover the wounded flesh; exactly as Madam Pomphrey had instructed him to do. Shinji's flesh began to re-knit itself before his eyes. The Japanese teen relaxed immediately.

Poppy nodded approvingly, "Eyes on me, Mr. Ikari. Tell me what happened."

"T'was…" Hagrid began. Madam Pomphrey cut him off, "I'll speak to you later, Hagrid; right now, I need Mr. Ikari awake _and_ talking."

Hagrid closed his mouth so fast his teeth clacked together. Hermione patted his arm. "She's right, Hagrid. Shinji is almost in shock. She knows what to do." The half-giant nodded brusquely, and gulped noisily.

"Go on, Mr. Ikari. Tell me." Pomphrey insisted.

Shinji gasped. "Uh… it was… Malfoy… He insulted Buckbeack… and…" He continued, "I… I pushed him… out of the way…"

While Shinji spoke in short bursts of words, Madam Pomphrey checked the wounds as they closed. The worst gashes were almost closed, but the skin around was swollen and red. "And you got attacked instead? Very brave. Not very sensible, but brave. Especially as Mr. Malfoy is not exactly a friend of the Gryffindor House."

He spoke with a little more strength, "I… I wouldn't let… anybody suffer if I… can help it…"

Hearing this, Harry half smiled, he himself had been ready to do the same. Shinji had just jumped half a second before he could gather enough courage to do it. Not for Malfoy, but for both Hagrid and Buckbeak. Had Malfoy been actually wounded, Lucius Malfoy would have gone after both.

Pomphrey nodded encouragingly, "Keep on talking, Mr. Ikari. What happened then?" She watched the progress of the wounds. She extended a hand towards Harry, who put the Blood-Replenishing potion flask in her hand, already uncorked.

"I-I'm not sure… It was so fast…" Shinji gasped, grimacing at the taste of the potion. "I know I pushed Malfoy out of danger… and then my arm hurt a lot."

Harry looked at the medi-witch, continuing the story. "Hagrid stopped Buckbeak from attacking Ikari and Malfoy, and ordered me and Neville to take them away from Buckbeak."

Shinji's eyes focused on Harry. "Thank you." he whispered. His face was already recovering his normal skin shade.

Harry's smile twisted. "Actually, it was Neville who dragged you to safety. I had to get Malfoy." He rolled his eyes, mockingly.

Shinji chuckled. "He's not gonna like it…"

"Not a bit." Then both Harry and Shinji chorused " _When his father hears of this!_ "

"Well… it seems you are already feeling better, Mr. Ikari. Mr. Potter, you did a good job with the ointment. It seems you do better as a helper than as a patient. Well done." She cast another diagnostic spell over Shinji's arm. "Very good. I will release you tomorrow morning, about an hour before breakfast, so you will have time to take a bath and gather your books and implements for your classes. In the meanwhile, I just will have to wrap your arm with a bandage to keep the ointment from rubbing off. You will have to wear a sling for a few days, until the wounds are completely healed."

Shinji, _very_ used to hospital procedures, simply nodded. Compared to his frequent and usually painful stays at the NERV Hospital back in Tokyo-3, Hogwarts Hospital Wing was a very mild inconvenience. Sure, he was in some pain still, but he would be released soon. _Without_ being poked, prodded, pinched, and analysed eight hundreds ways.

Uncomfortable and sometimes painful ways.

Madam Pomphrey continued, "I need you to come here after classes tomorrow; we will have to follow up for the next week or so, or there will be some scarring."

"Um…" Shinji hesitated for a moment. He looked deep in thought. "Madam Pomphrey? I would prefer some scarring. Family tradition. As long as movement and function are not impeded, the Ikari Clan prefers to keep the scars visible." He shrugged. "A honour thing, according to my guardian. A wound received honourably is to be kept. (1)"

She looked at him for a long moment. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." He said gravely. His dark blue eyes didn't waver as he looker into her eyes.

"I will have to talk to your parents about it. My medical oaths would require me to heal you as best as possible, and that includes scars."

"My... my parents are dead, Madam Pomphrey, my sister and I came to England with our Guardian, Misato Katsuragi. I will owl her a letter tonight. But I'll need somebody to actually send the letter."

"I'm sorry for your loss, My. Ikari. Please ask your Guardian to come as soon as possible. I need to talk to her in person." She said, while collecting the empty vials and putting the lot in a wicker basket.

"Hedwig will deliver your letter, Shinji. She doesn't get enough letters to carry for me, and she gets antsy."

"Good. Now, be a dear, Mr. Potter, and give the Calming Draughts to Mr. Longbottom and Ms. Granger. I'll have to prepare something a bit stronger for Hagrid."

* * *

_**Slytherin Dormitories  
Draco Malfoy's Room** _

The Malfoy heir paced around in his private room in the Slytherin dormitories. He was still shaking. He absolutely refused to come out until he had managed to get a grip on things. And himself. Showing any kind of weakness in Slytherin would mean losing power. And if there was something the Malfoy heir had learned from his father, was to hate losing. Especially losing power.

As he paced to try and calm his nerves, he fumed. His cunning plan to get that stupid oaf sacked had failed. Spectacularly. The foreign-born Gryffindor had saved him for a grave wound.

Ikari had saved him.

Ikari. Had. _Saved_. Him.

He had a very close view of the attacking hippogriff. The claws had teared through the Gryffindor's flesh as a hot knife through butter.

It finally sunk into his brain that he could have been killed by that savage beast!

But now, he was indebted with another.

Worse yet, a foreigner.

And the worst part, a _Gryffindor_ …

He looked at his hands. There was a slight tremor still, it would take him a while yet to still them.

Draco didn't know what to do. He wouldn't really be able to get the brute; no, brutes, into trouble now.

"Father will know what to do…" he said. Nodding to himself, he sat at the elaborately decorated desk, and began to write a letter.

* * *

_**Gryffindor Common Room** _

Ron Weasley was very busy, reading the latest _Quidditch Weekly Magazine_. While he enjoyed reading about the latest exploits of the Chudley Cannons, he smirked to himself, thinking that now that the foreigner had shown himself as a fool, willing to save a slimy snake from their very well deserved fate, Harry and Hermione would have no other recourse than to come back and beg him to accept their friendship again.

Well… he would magnanimously accept them back, after a suitable bribe of candies and chocolate. In the meanwhile, he was more interested in reading his magazine.

* * *

Meanwhile, out of Ron's earshot, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown discussed the events. "Well, Ikari musn't know how the Slytherins are, especially Malfoy." Parvati argued.

"I don't think so. You didn't see his face when the class begun. He was looking at Malfoy as if the ponce had thrown his pet from the highest floor of the Astronomy Tower."

"Then why did he save him?"

"I don't know. I thought that thing was about to kill them both when Hagrid caught it. I had never been so scared in my life. Not even when the monster was petrifying people last year."

"I wonder how Ikari is doing…"

"Must be still at the Hospital. Hey… Now that I think of it… Granger, and Longbottom haven't come back here. They must be there too."

"Yeah…"

* * *

_**History of Magic Class** _

While Professor Binns droned interminably about Goblin Rebellions, and occasionally asked if somebody called Bueller was missing from his class (2), Penelope Clearwater read the letter she had just received that very morning. Again and again. Had she been paying some attention to Binns, she would have been tempted to say Bueller was sick.

' _I'll have to ask Professor Flitwick for permission to go. I have not the faintest idea of why they would be summoning me, and so officially.'_

Inside her History book rested a very expensive looking piece of parchment, with large golden letters and a very detailed symbol on top.

Gringotts.

She didn't even have an account at Gringotts!

* * *

_**Slytherin Common Room** _

Going from group to group of Third Year students, Daphne Greengrass was making a few apparently supportive comments to the rest of the house. Each and every comment carefully structured to imply that Malfoy had been a fool. That he has rushed into a barely planned action, very unSlytherin-like. And that now, thanks to his rash actions, the whole Slytherin House could well be indebted to, shock and outrage! a Gryffindor student.

In the first day of school, no less!

Well, at least it had not been Harry Potter...

* * *

_**London  
** _ _**The Star on the Mountain Bar.** _

Ciara Lobosco sat on a corner table, carefully nursing a beer. It would be the last one she dared to buy until, and unless, she found a new job.

Looking for one in the Wizarding side was just asking for trouble, though she had checked with her old crowd if there was anything available. But that bloated toad Umbridge had been very busy lately. Passing laws more and more restrictive to her kind. There was no way she, or any other were in Magical Britain could find and keep an honest job now. It was quite evident that the toad had a personal vendetta against any creature not fully human, and Ciara knew that definition also included muggles and muggleborn. Maybe even half-bloods.

Still, she didn't want to try for the other kind of jobs. Even the tamest dishonest job made her skin crawl.

"Argh…" she growled, "Back to the Muggle side…"

She opened the newspaper she had rescued from a trash bin before entering the Star, and opened it in the classifieds section. Maybe she could find some nice job with few qualifications... She had realized some time before her best shot would be hard labour, for things that could be completed quickly. "Painting market stalls?" She marked the ad, and after she finished her beer, called the number in the ad from a dingy telephone booth outside the bar.

She got lucky! There was still an opening!

About a week of honest work would do wonders for her finances! All she had to do was to apply paint on wood. Sure, it was a dirty job, but somebody had to be paid to do it, and she was able, willing, and needed the money. So, she would do it.

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Staff Room** _

Professor Remus Lupin guided the big wooden box to its final place in the staff room. It was rarely used since the staff usually gathered at Headmaster Dumbledore's office anyway. Carefully, he put the crate at the end of the room, as far from the door as possible.

The crate shook several times. Lupin waited patiently until it settled down.

Once he was sure the crate wouldn't move again, after five mintes of quiet, he vanished the crate, revealing an old wardrobe. The wood was old and bore several scratches. The varnish had peeled in some parts, and there was a green patina in the handles of the door.

The only new thing about it was the heavy chain and padlock securing the doors closed. Of course, he had the key. A big, heavy key that looked like it had been made a century ago.

Because it was really a century old key, certified.

The old wardrobe had been found and chained in a house that had been converted to a vacant lot, in the middle of a muggle neighborhood, a few weeks before. One of his contacts in the muggle world had recognized the presence of a boggart in the old piece of furniture, and sent it to Lupin once they had agreed on a price.

Selling the wardrobe as it was would only result in a call for Obliviators and a fine. Sending it to Hogwarts simply resulted in a few Galleons changing hands, and two satisfied customers.

Now, Lupin only had to make sure there were enough wards in the room to keep the Boggart from escaping, and he would be set for his first class.

He was really looking forward to it.

Especially, as Harry Potter would be in that first group.

* * *

_**Author Notes:** _

(1) Actually, there is another, very different reason for that. I´ll address it when Shinji and Harry get the chance to actually speak in private. Harry is gonna ask.

(2) As I was writing, I thought that Professor Binns is right in league with Ben Stein (as the economics teacher in _Ferris Bueller's Day Off_ ) and the unnamed Tokyo-3 sensei who relentlessly bored the group of potential Evangelion pilots in the NGE TV continuity with his reminiscences about _Life Before Second Impact_. And no, Ferris Bueller won't show up in this story, except as a reference.


	25. Chapter 25

_**Follow Up** _

* * *

_**Hogwarts Hospital Wing** _

Once Madam Pomfrey had concocted a triple strength Calming Draught, and Hagrid had dutifully drank it all, she asked the rest of the group to leave the Hospital Wing, so Shinji could rest.

They still had some time before the next classes. So they could go to the Gryffindor Common Room for their books, and, in Neville's case, a shower and a change of clothes.

"Miss Granger, Longbottom?" Shinji asked before the group left the place. "Would you be so kind to let my sister know I'm here? I don't want for her to hear some rumour and get worried without need."

Hermione and Neville stopped and turned almost as one. "Of course."

"Thank you." he tried to bow, but laying down on a bed, all he managed was to nod. Still, the movement hurt.

The medi-witch noticed his wince. "Don't move too much, Mr. Ikari. The flesh needs time to mend properly. Right now, the mending is fragile, and we don't want it to open again, do we?"

Harry nodded his agreement. "Take it easy, Shinji. You're in good hands. I'll come later to check on you. Do you want me to bring you anything?"

"Just the homework. I think I can manage to at least read it, and if Madame Pomfrey approves, take some notes.

Poppy nodded her approval. Unlike other patients, at least Ikari seemed to understand that healing needed rest, not only potions and spells.

Hermione beamed at his petition, of course. "Now, that's the attitude!"

"Mahoutokoro is very demanding. If you're not studying or practicing, well… let's just say that the school spirit demands excellence. Literally. He was a samurai back in the time. You don't want to ever get on his bad side."

"A samurai? A real samurai?" Hermione demanded.

Madame Pomfrey shooed the group out. "You'll have plenty of time to ask Mr. Ikari, but later on. Right now, he needs the rest."

"Oh, of course. Sorry, Madam Pomfrey" She relented.

* * *

Once they were out, Hagrid accompanied them in silence. His beard still stained with rust red flecks. Unlike his usually congenial behaviour, now he was sullen and distant. Come to think of it, Neville too.

"Hagrid? Are you okay?" Harry asked.

The half-giant nodded brusquely. "Yeah. Tis jus' tha'… " he almost sobbed, but swallowed the lump in his throat. "I don' understan' it… Buckbeak is a gentle soul…"

Harry patted Hagrid's arm. "I know. It was just Malfoy trying to cause a problem."

Brusquely, Hagrid raised his head. "Do ya think Ikari would … I don' know… ask for Buckbeak ta be…" He hesitated.

"I don't think so. He doesn't seem the kind to hold on to a grudge." Harry paused for a moment, before continuing in all seriousness, "Not like Malfoy. I think if he had been the one wounded, he would be right now demanding for the Ministry to put Buckbeak down. Or rather, demanding Daddy Lucius to do it for him." Hagrid paled considerably.

Neville was very quiet, walking at the other side of Hagrid. "I thought Buckbeak would kill them both. I don't want to feel that useless ever again." His fingers closed in a fist. No. Not a fist, as if he was holding a wand.

Hagrid exhaled a lungful of air. "I will have ta change da next class…"

"For as long as you are not thinking of having everybody raising flubberworms or something that tame." Harry said.

Hagrid stopped on his tracks. "Wha' did ya say, Harry?" He had guessed exactly what Hagrid was thinking. Well… not really. Shinji had mentioned that. He seemed to find somewhat funny that the flubberworms had overdosed on lettuce.

Harry looked up at his friend. "I meant that you have to find a middle ground. You are big, strong and _very_ hardy. You can take on almost any creature in the book, and have a good chance to walk back to your hut with nothing more than a few scratches. We regular humans are squishy, Hagrid. There has to be some other animals you can have on class, that won't harm a student who doesn't know how to behave, but that won't be boring. The flubberworms can be useful to check who can act responsibly and who won't. Let's say you start with those for the Firsties. And once they have shown the proper respect and care for the harmless creatures, they earn the chance to see and study the bigger creatures. Sixth and Seventh Years should be the only ones to directly meet with creatures that could rip them to shreds when provoked. And hopefully, by then they should be mature enough to not provoke them."

Hagrid tried to comb his tangled beard with a hand, finally noticing the dried blood on it. He pulled his king-sized hanky, and managed to clean himself a bit. He would have to wash it, of course; but at least it didn't look like an old times carnival geek (1) anymore

"Yeh may be righ', Harry. But wha' kinda animals would be righ'?" he scratched his bulbous nose, thinking hard.

"What about the thestrals pulling the carriages from Hogsmead?" Harry asked.

"Thestrals?" Hermione interrupted. "I didn't see any animal pulling the carriages. They just moved. I thought it was some kind of animation charm."

This question pulled Hagrid back from his brooding. "No, no, Hermione. Ya see, we ha' a herd of thestrals here at Hogwar's." He began to gesticulate. "But not ev'rybody can see'em. Touch 'em, yea, but to see them… well…" Hagrid shrug was like a glaciar moving. "They ah nice an'gentle. Yeh can have 'em eating out of the palm o'yer hand in no time at'all."

Quickly, Hermione brought her _Monster Book of Monsters_ from her satchel, stroke the spine, and once the animated book calmed down, looked for the thestral entry. She had skimmed the book,

"Oh, Harry…" she said sadly, once she had read the important part of the text. Harry read it too, and knew why she had said that.

"It's okay, Hermione. Not your fault." He shrugged and turned back to Hagrid. "I can't be the only one here who can see them."

"…No…" Hagrid sighed, sadness in his voice. "I don' think yeh are."

"Still, it could be interesting to see if the thestrals can handle being around children better than the hippogriffs. And those, just a friendly advice, should be in the higher years classes anyway. Say… Sixth and Seventh Years?"

Hermione and Neville approved.

Finally, they arrived to the Gryffindor Common Room, where they were immediately interrogated by the other Lions. Neville excused himself to take a quick shower and change clothes.

He didn't notice the interested looks in Parvati and Lavender's eyes. He didn't know it then, but he had risen quite a few pegs in his peers estimation. Even Katie Bell was looking at him with some interest.

He did not notice the scowl on Ron Weasley's face.

There was a storm brewing under that mop of red hair.

* * *

_**Slytherin Common Room  
Draco Malfoy's Room** _

The self-proclaimed nemesis of Harry Potter paced around his room, trying to think on exactly how to put the events of the day in words that wouldn't make him look too bad in the eyes of his father

Finally, he gave up, and decided to leave the letter for later. He would have time enough after dinner.

* * *

_**Hogwarts, Second Floor Halls** _

Hermione knew that in the way to their next class, the Third Year Gryffindor contingent would meet the Third Year Ravenclaws on their way to their own next class. She looked around, craning her neck, until she found the distinctive mop of blue hair. The fact that a strand of blue hair stood on end only made it easier for her.

"Ayanami? Shinji asked me to look for you. there was an incident in the Care for Magical Creatures class. He got hurt, but he will be okay soon." She relayed the tale in short words.

Rei blinked three times. Her lips almost disappeared in a straight line.

To almost everybody, she had taken the news with equanimity. Shinji would have recognized her anger. It was the exact same expression she had just before slapping him.

She was very cross. But her conditioning kept her temperament under wraps. "Thank you, Granger. I appreciate it." She bowed deeply. "I'll ask for permission to visit him."

"Yeah. Don't worry. He will be okay. He just needs to rest." Hermione hugged her briefly. Rei's eyes opened wide in surprise. She could count with the fingers of one hand the times she had been hugged in her life. Her mind short-circuited for a moment, and her anger dissipated. Leaving behind an ache, a yearning she didn't understand. She filed it under the usual ASL cathegory: 'Ask Shinji Later'.

The two groups of students were almost gone. Hermione released Rei, grabbed her arms. "I'll see you later, Ayanami."

In the middle of the hall, Rei stood alone for a moment. Before gathering her wits, and walking to her next class.

She debated if it would be better to wait for the end of the class to visit her brother, or ask permission to… She checked her timetable. Professor McGonaghal. She thought about it.

She would inform Professor McGonaghal and ask for permission to leave early. Transfiguration was the last class of the day, so she would only need to ask for the homework.

Just like in Tokyo-3.

* * *

_**Headmaster's Office.** _

"Now, where to put these, where…?" Albus Dumbledore leaned back on his throne-like chair, his eyes darting around, looking for the right place. He shrugged, and decided to put the bronze trackers attuned to Sally-Ann Perks right next to the ones that kept watch over Harry Potter, his most valuable pawn.

The Sorting Hat watched every move the Headmaster did. Had it been able to, it would have shaken its head. The small glimpses into the minds of the foreign students had allowed it a brief glimpse of two entities it had never met, but being finely attuned to magic, recognized. A pale girl with a sunny disposition, despite her name and job, and the grim carrier of the Book.

Albus Dumbledore was setting himself against the plans of both Death and Destiny. The Sorting Hat almost chuckled. Long decades of experience under Dumbledore's belt? Ha! As if any man, woman or whatever had ever managed to pull one over the Endless!

Still, that would be fun to watch.

The Sorting Hat watched as Dumbledore arranged the trinkets carefully.

* * *

On the wall, the portraits of previous Headmasters watched intently. Especially Phineas Black's. He was well enough versed in dark magic to recognize the purpose of the bronze trinkets. _'I wonder what has gotten in that labyrinthically messed head.'_ he thought to himself. Watching in silence. _'He already has a full set tracking the Potter Heir. Now, who could he be interested in? Could it be that mudblood girl? The one who got hurt? Parks?'_ He dismissed the idea. Art least the boy came from good, old stock. Even if his idiotic father had polluted his line with a mudblood girl.

* * *

_**Hogwarts  
Hospital Wing  
** _ _**Early Evening** _

Harry and Hermione visited Shinji after dinner. They spoke for a few minutes before Rei entered. Shinji smiled at her, happy to see her. He had already known she would come later in the day.

She grabbed his healthy hand to show her support, but felt a sharp pain in her arm. She gasped at the sudden flash of pain. But her face remained still. She was no stranger to pain. Still, there had been nothing during the day to cause her such a sudden pain.

Hermione was the first one to excuse herself. "I have a lot of homework to do! But I'll go to the Owlery first and send your letter. I'll see you at the Common Room, Harry."

Harry nodded, and was about to go after her, but Shinji grabbed his arm. "Wait, Harry, I need to talk to you. I…"

Harry sat back on the bed, turning to Hermione. "I'll be right with you in a minute, Hermione."

Shinji whispered once Hermione was out the room. "I have something for you, Harry. After you went back, I… we… um… We met your parents on the other side."

Harry's jaw dropped. "M-m-my parents?"

"Yes, they gave me a message and a few bottles for you. They told me to tell you that they love you. they are very proud of you and miss you a lot. But they want you to live a full life before joining them, they want you to be happy." He closed his eyes for a long moment. "Also, they sent you memories, Harry."

Harry looked like he was ready to bolt without knowing to where. "…" he couldn't speak for a long moment. He had no real memories of his parents. Only a few glimpses barely remembered from nightmares and the cold influence of the Dementor in the train.

"They are in my trunk. I wanted to give them to you tonight. But…" He gestured to his bandaged arm.

"It… it's okay…" Harry raised a trembling hand. "I will probably be a mess after seeing them. But tomorrow is Friday. I'll have the whole weekend to get a handle on my emotions. I can wait until tomorrow, I have waited for twelve years, I can manage a day more."

Rei looked intensely at him. His emotions were raw and turbulent. But there was something nagging at her mind. There was something wrong here.

She studied Harry's face. Then Shinji's. No, it was Harry. Finally, she realized what it was.

"Your scar."

Instinctively, Harry covered his forehead. "What? Is there something wrong? Is it bleeding?"

"No," she said impassively. "It is _healing_."

* * *

_**Author Notes:** _

(1) The original meaning of geek is very different from the current one. A carnival geek performed bizarre and strange acts for the public. One of them, IIRC, was to eat raw meat, freshly ripped from some unfortunate chicken. Or at least pretend to do so. I'm not too sure on that.


	26. Where Were We?

* * *

Lines in parentheses are translated from French.

* * *

**_Hogwarts  
Hospital Wing  
_ **

"Healing?" Harry asked, finally noticing the scab on his skin. His scar had been slightly open all his life, and hurt and bled when Riddle was too close. But since the… "The Dementor? What did exactly happened then?"

Rei looked around, checking they were alone, and no portraits nor ghost were present. Satisfied, she used her wand to cast a simple privacy spell. She nodded, her countenance as serious as ever, "We, Shinji, Major Katsuragi and myself, extricated Riddle's soul fragment from your soul. We entered this reality through you own soulscape."

Harry rubbed his nose, thinking, "I… I heard you three. I thought I maybe has imagined that, but Shinji told me it had been real."

"Believe me, Harry," Shinji interjected, "that was really strange; Riddle's soul fragment felt really nasty." He looked at his left hand, opening and closing it a couple of times. "Touching it gave me the creeps."

Rei looked at Harry, her blue eyes flashed red for a moment, going back to their natural colour. "Your soul is the exact opposite." Her hands moved a little, trying to convey feelings and emotions she had no name for. "It is… bright. Warm. Accepting. Riddle's shard was…" she tried to decide on the rights words to convey her sensations, "Cold. Dirty. _Hateful_."

Shinji patted her arm. "True. It was like tar, in a way. Like you couldn't get rid of it." He wiped his hand on the blanket. "But we did. And I think we got connected somehow when we pushed him out. Last night I dreamt things that felt like they belong to you two, and to Misato."

Rei's brow furrowed in thought, "I had not dreamed before. It was unsettling."

Shinji and Harry looked at her, worried. "Never?" They chorused.

"No." Rei answered.

Neither Harry nor Shinji knew what to say. Rei broke the awkward silence. "We have a more immediate problem."

"My scar?"

"Yes, if Dumbledore realices your scar is healing, he will begin to ask himself questions. We do _not_ want him to ask those questions. He would do something about it. And we do not know what. Major Katsuragi was very clear about it. We must keep Dumbledore from realizing things have changed."

"What can we do then? Cut Harry's scar open again?" Shinji's face paled.

"I have an idea. But I will need to try it first." Rei looked at Shinji and extended a hand. Without thinking, Shinji extended his own.

* * *

**_Black Island_ **

Sirius Black decided to go to bed early, and ask Dobby for a very light dinner, Dobby had prepared a feast fit for a king for lunch, and Sirius had overindulged. Even hours later, he was still somewhat full.

He went for a long walk around the island, to settle his stomach. It truly was a beautiful place. And once again, he wondered why the rest of his (now mostly late) family was so set on living in the most dreary places available. He sat on a handy rock by the beach, and threw a few pebbles into the blue ocean waters.

When he returned to the house, two letters from Gringotts were waiting for him in the mailbox. It was the means he and Sharpedge had agreed to maintain contact. He opened the first letter, while Dobby cleaned the study. The elf really felt comfortable around him, as he was cleaning slowly and letting himself be seen working.

"Ah, excelent! Progress!" Sirius put a banner on the cork board. "Dobby, we have our first step!"

Dobby dropped the wiping cloth, and ran excitedly to look at the board. "First store! Master Harry has the store!"

"Yup, Ol'Zonko accepted our offer!" Sirius rubbed his hands together. "And real fast too! I don't know who is Harry planning to send as apprentices, but they better be very good. We will get a couple of Zonko's owl order catalog once the parchmentwork has been signed. We will go through each article to determine if we kept it or not. That will be fun. Especially as we get to keep the offending objects." Sirius laughed maniacally for fifteen seconds. Still, no thunder rumbled.

Once he finished laughing, the pair toasted with two glasses of sparkly water.

"Now, let's see what else our goblin friends have sent." He opened the second letter.

"Hmm… I will have to ask Harry about this… Dobby, could you get a letter to Harry later today?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Dobby bes delivering Master Harry's Dogfather's letter!" The excitable elf practically jumped at the idea.

Sirius smiled at Dobby's eagerness. "Easy, my friend. It will be a while before Harry can be alone."

Dobby nodded enthusiastically. "Dobby waits until Great Master Harry Potter is alone!"

* * *

**_The Leaky Cauldron_ **

Bernard Cribbins opened the letter that awaited for him in his room. Tom had put it there while Bernard looked for work in Diagon Alley. It had been, as Bernard already expected, a futile effort. As a Muggleborn, he was looked down by most prospective employers, and denied the chance for an honest job.

He sighed as he sat down on the bed. Idly, he looked at the envelope. He snapped to attention once he read the name of the sender and almost ripped the parchment open.

He read the letter in a hurry.

"Yes!" He said.

It might not be much, either for his finances or his pride, but helping prepare ingredients for Slughorn would be enough to coast by for awhile. Even if he didn't find a more lucrative job for a while, at least he could have a roof over his head and food in his belly. Maybe save some money. He had learned to be frugal thanks to the Purebloods first attitude of Wizarding Britain.

Also, he was sure his old teacher's Slug Club would eventually yield a good job. If there was an employer willing to hire a Muggleborn, the Slug Club would be a good way to get in contact with them.

He just had to make sure to get an appropriately extravagant gift for Slughorn…

* * *

**_Gryffindor Common Room_ **

"Dammit, Weasley!" Dean Thomas exclaimed, "what are you trying to do?" A shoe had just passed by his head, missing him by an inch. And missing it's actual target for a foot. Crookshanks ran away to hide.

"I'm trying to keep that monster away from Scabbers! What else?"

"Are you insane? Those two fur balls are buddies!"

"That thing is just waiting for the right moment to eat Scabbers! It may fool everybody else, but not me!"

Dean used his wand to send the shoe back. "Yeah, right." He scoffed.

Behind the sofa, Crookshanks hid from the redhead and licked his paws with all the calm in the world.

Back at the dormitories, Scabbers the (actual) rat gnawed on a piece of wood inside his cage. It was bored out of its little rodent mind.

* * *

**_Beauxbatons  
_ ** **_Headmistress' Office_ **

"(Mme. Soryu, I asked for you to come see me because of your daughter's performance in her classes. Mme. Soryu?)" Madame Maxine looked across her desk, to the woman in front of her. She waved a hand in front of her face, and snapped her fingers twice.

Asuka sighed and shrugged, "(Mama has a rare form of narcolepsy, Mme. Maxine. She _seems_ to fall asleep for about twenty seconds, once or twice in a week. That's why all her potions work is only theoretical. She does better with runic arrays; if she falls asleep, the worst that can happen is that she ruins a stone and has to start again. She should snap out of it in a moment. Still, she can hear us clearly, and will pick the conversation up once she snaps back.)"

The half-giantess looked at her new transfer student. "(I… see… well…)" she arranged some documents in a leather folder. "(Your teachers have approached me with some slight concerns. They say you get distracted in class. You have not been here even a week, and already the staff has informed me that even if you seem not to pay attention, you know the answers, and your practical work and magical theory grasp are well beyond your current level of schooling. The only branch of magic you have not demonstrated an advanced understanding of is Divination.)"

Asuka looked back at her, "(Well, yes. I get a bit bored. I am well beyond Third Year.)" Her old pride and hubris threatened to surface, she stamped on it. Her hubris had cost her everything she could have had. She breathed deeply, and with measured voice, she continued. "(About Divination, I refuse to be controlled by omens and augurs. Destiny is not written in a book, there is no fate for me but what I make for myself.)" (1)

At that moment, Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu shook and gasped. "(Oh, sorry. I should be okay for the rest of the evening. My apologies Mme. Maxine.)"

"(Worry not. We all have our own quirks. Now, Miss Soryu was telling me she gets bored easily.)"

"(Oh, yes, we had that same problem at Mahoutokoro. She was evaluated and graduated early. Turns out my little girl is quite the genius.)" The proud tone was very clear in her voice. Asuka beamed. Her mother continued. "(I asked the Education Council for her evaluation when we moved here, but they said that due to her age, she would be placed at the average grade for her age. I had an appointment with you for next week to discuss the matter.)"

Mme. Maxine leaned back, making her chair groan ominously with the weight shift. She tapped the point of her quill on a spare piece of parchment, kept on her desk for this purpose. "(So, you should be at a higher year?)"

"(Actually… no.)" Asuka said with contained annoyance. "(I should be pursuing a Mastery in at least, Potions and Arythmancy.)"

"(Well… I should have been notified by the Education Council…)"

Kyoko waved a hand. "(They are a bit… um… reticent to accept Mahoutokoro's grades. Msr. Roaché told me Asuka must finish at least one year here at Beauxbatons before her grades are tested officially. He cited some obscure law from… 1825. Something about a war against Tarzan, I think; (2) even though I don't think he was even alive back then.)"

Asuka face-palmed.

Mme. Maxine blinked, she would have to check that out, later. "(Ahem… well… I will owl him for confirmation. In the meanwhile, If you can pass the required end year exams, I could let you skip to Sixth Grade.)" She raised one of her big hands, stopping Asuka's objection, "(By law, I am somewhat limited on the number of grades I could let you advance. But if you are willing, and Mme. Soryu authorizes you to, you could act as a tutor for other students. This would help you socialize, build some useful contacts, and show the Education Council that you are capable _and_ responsible enough to handle the workload of a Mastery. Or more.)"

Quickly, Asuka checked some dates. This was 1993, so…

The read haired student smiled when she realized how a couple of things could go in her favor with this. "Mama?" She said, looking into her mother's clear blue eyes.

"(Do you want to?)" Kyoko asked with a smile. She had thought exactly the same.

"(Yes!)"

Kyoko nodded. "(We accept, Mme. Maxine. I am sure my Asuka will not disappoint you.)"

"(Splendid! I will arrange for you to take the tests Monday evening. This will give you some time to review and practice!)" She glanced at the clock on her desk, a beautiful piece made in silver and gold, set in an ebony case.

Mother and daughter stood up, and bowed respectfully. "(Thank you, Mme. Maxine.)" They chorused.

* * *

**_Hogwarts  
_ ** **_Hospital Wing  
_ **

A sudden movement surprised the three students. Rei and Shinji turned to the door, releasing each other's hands.

To their surprise, the Weasley Twins entered the room, each one holding a box.

"Hello, hello, hello!" They chorused in perfect synch. "We come bearing gifts!"

Rei waved the spell off with some hidden annoyance. She raised an eyebrow.

"Fair lady from the other side of the world!" One of the twins entoned, "your good brother, here present, entrusted us with a mission." He put the box on the small table next to Shinji's bed.

The other twin put his box in Rei's hands, who took it automatically. "And we are here to deliver."

Rei blinked twice. "Wha..?"

"As your brother is in a delicate condition, allow us to introduce ourselves. This is my ugly brother, Fred Weasley."

Fred bowed exaggerating the motion as much as possible. He smiled at her as he straightened up, and his twin bowed too.

"And this is my not so smart brother, George. But you can call us Gred and Forge."

Rei's eyes darted from one to the other. She put the box on Shinji's bed to bow in the traditional Japanese way. "I am Rei Ayanami. Pleased to meet you."

"We come In peace. To wish your very brave brother a speedy recovery. Not everybody in this school… not everybody in this room even, would risk life and limb to save a snake, much less _that_ particular snake, anyway. But we digress, we are here to bring you both a sweet and tasty bounty, as promised."

Each one took one of Rei's hands, and kissed the back at the same time. Surprised by the gesture, Rei blushed.

"We suggest you try the chocolate frogs, today they are especially vivacious." George said, winking at her.

"And with that, we must say goodbye, fair lady." George said, putting a hand over his heart, "Madam Pomfrey granted us barely enough time to say hi and bye. And we have other matters to attend to. With your permission, we retire for now. Little brother, brave Shinji." They tipped imaginary hats towards the. "We'll see you later." And the two went out of the room, as fast as they had entered.

A few moments later, Harry cleared his throat. "Well… that happened."

Shinji scratched his head with his good hand. "Um… where were we..?"

* * *

**_The Leaky Cauldron_ **

Misato Katsuragi lay down on her bed. She would have preferred a futon, but it was what there was.

She opened the book Death had given her and began to read. It was actually funny and insightful. Who knew the Armageddon could get that messed up and be entertaining at the same time? Certainly it was very far with her own experiences with world ending events.

She was engrossed in the reading, when a soft tapping at the window distracted her. She put a slip of parchment in the book to mark her page, and opened the window. A snow-white owl flew in, with a letter tied to her leg.

"What? Hedwig?"

The owl stared at her, and extended her leg, offering her the letter. Misato took it, and remembering Shinji's stories, she said, "Do you need an answer? Would you like some water or food?"

Hedwig barked and bobbed her head.

"Ok, give me a minute to get you water and food. Rest here while I come back, okay?"

* * *

While Hedwig drank and ate, Misato examined the letter. "Weird… why would Harry Potter's owl deliver a letter to me? Block letters, neither Shinji nor Rei would write to me in these…"

She opened the envelope, the sheet of parchment was written in kanji, Rei's very neat quill-strokes, in fact. She read it quickly.

"Oh, Shinji…" she sighed.

* * *

Soon after, Hedwig was flying back to Hogwarts, with Misato's answer. She would be there early morning.

* * *

**_Author Notes:_ **

With this chapter, the story is synced with the original version in FFN. 

(1) Yes, Asuka is referring to Destiny as the entity, not an abstract concept. She's also paraphrasing Terminator 2. The movie was released in 1991, so, in 1993, there is the possibility the line would be recognized by magicals who are familiar with Muggle entertainment, which is obviously not the case of Madame Maxine. BTW, Kyoko did not see the movie. This version of her prefers rom-coms. She would recognize the lines "Hasta la vista, Baby" and "Ill be back., as those got really imbedde into popular culture.

(2) I chose the year 1825 at random, and a quick check on Wikipedia for French events from that year yielded the Franco-Trarzan War. It seems it was small and brief. But I liked the name, just for the sake of having Kyoko mishearing it.


	27. That Will Teach You!

**_Hogwarts  
_ ** **_Hospital Wing_ **

Rei took Shinji’s hand. “I’ll need you to focus on your memory of Harry’s scar. Size, color, texture. In as much detail as you can. If I’m right, our blood bond will help me copy the scar in my own body.”

Shinji nodded, and closed his eyes. His lips moved as if he was reading to himself. 

A moment later, Rei winced. A faint line appeared on her own forehead. “It... hurts.” She whispered. “Irrelevant. Keep focusing.”

Harry’s mouth hung open in amazement. He was intimately familiar with his scar. At first, he thought it was cool, but once he knew how he had acquired it, he began to hate it. It became a symbol of his loss, of everything bad in his life.

The scar appearing on Rei’s pale skin looked strange, there was something wrong. It was almost an exact replica. It even bled a little. Her blood was a deep, rich red. The edges of the scar were just as he remembered his own. Even the skin around it had changed colour, matching Harry’s own, instead of her natural paleness.

“Harry?” 

It took him a second to react, “How are you doing that? Are you a metamorphmagus?” 

“No. From what I’ve been told, a metamorphmagus can alter their body according to their wishes. Even to non-human features, limited within a set margin of weigh and volume. So far, I found my changes are limited to the human form. I am able to change only into humans. Partial or complete changes.”

Harry scratched his nose. “Why that limit?” 

“I have a working theory. I’ll discuss it later when Major Katsuragi is present, her insight could prove, once more, very valuable. And the possible cause is complicated. Long to tell and hard to explain without the pertinent background data.” She released Shinji’s hand. “We need time, and the current priority is to keep the Headmaster’s attention away from any unforeseen change that could clue him to our objective.” 

Shinji examined her scar carefully. “It looks right to me, Harry?” 

“Almost, it’s backwards.” Harry said after a few seconds. 

“Like a mirror image?” Rei asked, direct as ever. 

“Yeah...” Harry facepalmed. “Of course. I have only seen it in mirrors.” 

“Understandable.” Rei extended her hand towards the boy. Harry hesitated for a second, before putting his own hand on hers. “I have the reference, I will try to copy it into your body. This might hurt.” She said. “If it even works.”

Harry shrugged. “Don’t worry. I can take it.” 

They looked at each other’s eyes, green on blue, emerald and sapphire.

* * *

It did hurt. But not on the level of being poisoned by a basilisk. To Harry’s amazement, Rei’s eyes flickered to scarlet as the pain in his scar grew. He was almost hypnotized by her gaze, so he never noticed as her scar vanished, almost as if it was being transferred to his own skin. 

The three were so focused on the moment that neither noticed as the door opened, and a bushy haired girl stood on the threshold. 

A gasp escaped from her lips. 

Slowly, she closed the door, and ran to the Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

By the time Harry returned to Gryffindor Tower, Hermione was nowhere in sight.

Dobby waited for him at the room he shared with other students. “Great Master Harry Potter! Dogfather sending his regards and a letter!”

Harry smiled at the house elf. Things we’re looking better!

* * *

 **_Hogwarts Hospital Wing  
_ ** **_Next day._ ** ****

Madame Pomphrey checked on Shinji’s condition early morning “You’re doing well, Mr. Ikari. Normally, I would release you now, but due to your petition, I won’t. Not without your guardian’s agreement.”

“Somebody called me?” The purple haired woman barged in the Hospital Wing before Shinji could answer. He smiled at the newcomer.”Hi, Misato!”

“Shinji, are you Okay?”

Madame Pomphrey extended her right hand. “Ah, You must be Madame Katsuragi, welcome to Hogwarts. Your ward here has a somewhat unusual thing to ask for.” 

“I can guess. A scar.” She nodded towards Shinji. “Okay, kid; what happened? I need to know.” 

Shinji told the story in few words. Misato sighed. “You could have died.” 

“I... I didn’t think, Mi-Misato.” He lowered his eyes. 

“I know. That’s so... you.” She patted his hand. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” 

“Very well, indeed,” Madame Pomphrey noted her readings on a sheet of parchment. “Mr. Ikari, you can go. I’ll talk with Madame Katsuragi. Make sure to eat a lot of meat, you’ll need it. Keep on with your treatment and come see me after classes or if you feel more pain than you do right now.”

Shinji dressed himself with only minimal help, and bowed deeply to the medi-witch. “Thank you, Madame Pomphrey, I’ll do so.”

“Go with your friends, Shinji.” Misato pushed him towards the door.

* * *

Once he was gone, Misato sighed. “He’s a good kid, a bit foolish at times, I know.” 

“Jumping in front of a raging hippogriff certainly qualifies. He got three deep slashes in his arm and lost a good amount of blood. Hagrid brought here right in time. Does he have a death wish?”

The question shook Misato to her very core. She took her time to answer. “I can’t talk about it in detail. But until very recently, he didn’t have much to live for. In part, that’s why we are here in England.” 

“Family stuff?” 

“Family stuff.” Misato sighed sadly, lowering her eyes. “He... he needs to believe he has worth. I hope he can make friends here. Back in Japan... well... as I said, I can’t say much.” 

“I understand. Family can impose heavy burdens on people.” She rang a little bell, and a house-elf appeared, “Teppy, tea for two, please.” The elf bowed, and a moment later, a full service appeared in the table. 

“According to Mr. Ikari, traditionally, his family keeps scars as...” 

“As a kind of badge of honour. Yes. Wounds received honorably. As a reminder of worthy feats.”

“Sounds a bit...” 

“Barbaric?” Misato smiled sweetly. “Might be, but it is a very old and very respected tradition for the whole Ikari Clan. Even for families associated by old oaths. Like mine.” 

Misato put her cup in the saucer, and stood up. She opened her robes, showing a pale, ragged scar at the right side of her torso, running diagonally from under her right breast to the middle of her chest. It was the one she had received during Second Impact. The previous night, she had delved into the memories of this reality’s Misato Katsuragi. Warden of the two children of the late Gendo Rokubungi-Ikari, and Yui Ikari. The story was different, but the scar was the same.

“I received this one during an assasination attempt. My father was Yui Ikari’s Yojimbo (1). In English terms, her bodyguard. He died in a... gang attack meant to kill Mistress Ikari. I was wounded by a piece of metal, shrapnel from the very same Bombarda that killed him (2), just as I tackled Mistress Ikari to the ground. She was pregnant with Shinji then. So, my father and I saved two lives that day. Though the cost was terrible, he fulfilled his duty to the very end. I was practically adopted by Clan Ikari afterwards. They gave me the best education available for my social standing. And since I graduated, I’ve been fulfilling the same role for them. I’m not only the Guardian of both the Heir of the Clan, Shinji, and his half-sister, Rei here in England. I am responsible for their safety. So, you see, scars are a serious thing for us. Even away from our lands.” She closed her robes. “After hearing the whole story, I consider Shinji did receive his wounds honourably, and has won the right to keep the scars. The Clan Elders will back my decision in this.” 

Madame Pomphrey stared at her for long seconds, “Very well... It goes against our regular procedures, but traditions must be respected, I guess. I will make sure Mr. Ikari heals satisfactorily, scars included.” 

“I thank you for your prompt healing of my ward.” Misato stood up and bowed. “If there is something I can do to correspond, please let me know.” 

“Um... well... I was just doing my job. There is no need.” 

“There is every need. We take our debts seriously. There might be a time of need in the future. When it comes, remember us.”

“Just make sure Mr. Ikari stays healthy, and I will consider is even.” 

“That might be somewhat difficult. He has a... need to help other people, risking himself in the moment.” 

“Sounds like a certain other student here. And as it happens, it seems they are friends already. I hope they will keep each other safe, instead of the other way.” 

Misato raised an eyebrow, knowing perfectly well who was said student. She poured a bit of tea in her cup as she sat down again. “Really? Tell me more. I will have to talk to Hagrid again, to hear his version, but that can wait for a few minutes.”

* * *

**_Hogwarts Castle_ **

Shinji’s classes were a bit uncomfortable, due to having to take notes with his left hand. To his amazement, his kanji were more readable than he expected.

Though he was and expecting the next class.

This would be the first test of their plan.

* * *

 **_Hogwarts  
_ ** **_Potions Classroom_ **

Shinji checked his satchel. The particular items he needed were duly shrunk, and waiting to be returned to their original size.

To the amazement of his fellow students, he arrived to the dungeons covered by strange garments.

“What… is the meaning of… that?” Professor Snape sneered as Shinji crossed the threshold.

“Mahoutokoro standard protective equipment, sir.”

“What?”

“Protective equipment. In case of any accident. Googles, gloves, full suit of kappa skin, treated to repel liquids.”

“And why, pray tell us, did you feel the need to grace us with that… _eyesore_?”

“Um… sir… it is the required equipment for Potions class…” Shinji said, cowering just a bit more than he would have felt necessary, if this scene was not part of the plan.

“Ten points from Gryffindor for implying a professor allows accidents in his classroom.”

The Slytherins laughed openly, except for Draco Malfoy. He didn’t really know what to think of the foreign student. His father still had not replied to his letter. The young Slytherin decided to study how the boy reacted.

“But, sir… I’m just obeying Professor McGonagall’s instructions.”

 _‘Stupid, very stupid.’_ Draco thought, _‘Weren’t you warned?’_

“Ten more points from Gryffindor for arguing. Take that _ridiculous_ thing off, and sit down. With Longbottom.” Snape growled. “That will teach you to actually _expect_ accidents.”

“But, sir...” Shinji obeyed. Looking crushed, but inside he was quite satisfied. “Professor McGonagall told me…”

“Enough! Another twenty points from Gryffindor and two detentions with Filch!” Shinji could almost hear the man’s teeth grinding, lowering his eyes, he sat down while the rest of the Gryffs kept silent.

Snape swept the classroom with a heavy lidded look, challenging the students to do anything. He held his pose for almost a minute, letting the room grow into an uncomfortable silence.

“Today,” he finally said, “You will prepare Shrinking Solution. Instructions are on the board. Begin!”

Neville whispered, “You are not going to be popular today, Ikari.”

“I know,” Shinji groaned. “I’ll make it up later on. I’ll get the ingredients, you start the cauldron.”

At the supplies boards, Shinji collected the ingredients in a small basket. Ron Weasley doing the same next to him.

“Now you done it, Ikari. Not even my brothers had lost so many points in one go.” He pushed Shinji to one side, making sure to make him spill part of his supplies. Then, he studiously ignored the former pilot, while he gathered his own supplies.

Shinji knew the rest of the group would be angry at him.

He would have to endure until their contingency was activated.

In the meanwhile, he had managed to achieve his first objective. Get Snape to focus on him, instead of Harry, Hermione, or Neville.

And speaking of Neville…

Once he had returned to their desk, Shinji checked on the cauldron the shy boy had prepared. “Okay, a bit less heat and we will be ready. I’ll skin the caterpillars, while you cut the daisy roots, okay?”

“Um… yes. Don’t you need help with that?”

“I don’t think so. It’s just like peeling garlic, you just have to know how to pinch the caterpillar. See?” As he talked, Shinji took a caterpillar between his fingers, and pinched the tail end with practiced ease. The skin remained between his fingers, while the rest of the body came out from the other end. “Be sure to clean your knife before skinning the shrivelfig.”

“What?”

“Here, use my knife, I can’t use it correctly anyway. With two knives it will be easier to keep the ingredients clean and separate.”

Meanwhile, Snape walked between the lines of desks, advising the Slytherins and mocking the Gryffindors. As the potions Professor closed on to them, Neville began to tremble.

“Longbottom, breathe.” Shinji hissed, grabbing Neville’s arm for a moment. “Easy. Don’t hurry. You are doing well.”

Neville looked at him for a moment, and breathed.

“Well? What are you waiting for?” Snape sneered at them. “Put the daisy roots in the water!”

“Sir, the water is not s-s-settled enough, yet. Adding the daisy roots now would weaken the effect. Sir.” Shinji spoke, gathering his courage. Snape was a bully, but months of living with Asuka had sharpened his instincts, he was almost sure Snape would simply try to intimidate them into making a mistake.

The greasy haired man held his gaze on Shinji for a long time. Until he proceeded to the next desk.

Neville exhaled in relief. He was about to say something, but Shinji shook his head and tilted it minutely towards Snape. Neville closed his mouth.

* * *

Three lines behind, Hermione Granger deliberately focused on her own work. Lavender Brown whispered at her, “What’s wrong with him?”

“I don’t know, but we better concentrate on our own work!” Hermione hissed back.

“You don’t have to get snippy at me, Granger.”

“Sorry, I… I couldn’t sleep last night.”

“Now That you mention it, you don’t look so good, your eyes are a bit red… Maybe you should take a nap later..?”

“No time, I’ll have to endure until classes are over.”

* * *

 **_The Forbidded Forest  
_ ** **_Outer Edge_ **

“I am very ashamed, Miss Ka’suragi. It was my fault. I tak full responsiblity for it. Please, let Buckbeak alone.” Even though they were far from the area patrolled by the Dementors, both Hagrid and Misato kept a vigilant eye on their surroundings. Fang, the boar hound, sniffed at the ground, happily.

Misato accompanied the Half-giant in his rounds. His first class of the day was still a couple of hours later. And he was very tense about it. He had a few boxes off lubber worms ready, as the kids had suggested, but wasn’t sure the harmless animals would be interesting enough. But, as they were the First Year groups of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, he didn’t expect trouble.

Misato’s voice brought him back from his musings, “Relax, Hagrid. I have no intention to harm your hippogriff. You might have erred in your choice of creature for a first lesson, but from what I’ve heard from Shinji, the incident was the Heir Malfoy’s fault. It was he who disregarded your warnings.” 

Hagrid looked like a mountainside after an avalanche as he relaxed. “Thank you, Miss Ka’suragi. It means a lo’tta me.” 

“Well, if you don’t mind me saying, I think you could get some help in watching the kids during lessons, check if Headmaster Dumbledore agrees to let you have one or two _very_ responsible Seventh Years as helpers, for extra credit. They wouldn’t even have to be the same for every lesson. You could have a group and rotate them as they are available. That’s how it’s done at Mahoutokoro.” 

“Good idea. Dumbledore will surely know who. Great man he is. I’ll ask him... shh...” Hagrid raised a hand and whispered as he knelt, “be quiet... I jus’ found me some tracks...” 

Misato had her wand in hand, looking around, “Dangerous animal?”, she whispered.

“Mite’ be... never had seen tracks like dis...” he pointed down. (3) “though it seems fam’liar...”

“Oh, I have. “ Misato smiled. “I know these tracks very well.” 

Hagrid scratched his bulbous nose. “Wha’ kinda crechur leaves long zigzag tracks?” (4)

Fanf sniffed around the tracks, wagging his tail.

* * *

 **_Author Notes:_ ** ****

(1) I’m not really sure if the word Yojimbo is the correct one, got it from the Wikipedia entry about the movie. If you know of a better one, especially for a female bodyguard, please let me know. 

(2) Things at Japan were not exactly peaceful for the original local versions of Shinji, Rei and Misato. Though Professor Katsuragi was a very different person from the parent of alternate Misato, both had a similar relationship with their respective daughters. Both were workaholics, they threw themselves into their work, were distant to their families, and both took their daughters to work in the worst possible day. 

(3) He would have, but he was flying then.

(4) One with rubber wheels, of course. 


End file.
